Homework has been around since the early 20th family farm or in the family business.

Family
century and so has the debate of whether or not
homework is a healthy policy for students. This
editorial piece explores homework, its history,
and its purpose so that you can decide if the no
homework policy is right for you.
Homework or No Homework?
Taking a stand to implement a no homework
policy should be based on the needs of the
students and not the opinions of fellow teachers
or parents. However, teachers who want to put
an end to homework assignments often have to
deal with the strong opinions of administration,
teachers and parents.
If you're thinking about implementing a no
homework policy for your students, it's a good
idea to do a little research into the homework
debate to decide if you're making the right
choice. And if you choose to do away with
homework, you'll need an arsenal of facts to
make your case. Here's what you need to know
ahead of time.
life and activities outside of school were of
great importance, and homework began to fall
out of favor.
The 1950s saw the world outside of the U.S.
charging ahead in education and technology. In
order to stay ahead of countries such as Russia,
education in the U.S. was revamped.
Homework became a means of stepping up the
game and furthering the educational success of
children.
The homework debate reversed again in the
1960s out of fear that it caused extreme
amounts of stress on children and parents.
However, the 1970s and 1980s again saw a
change in public opinion when the Japanese
began to surge forward economically. This
brought back the fear that the U.S. was falling
behind in education. Homework was once again
accepted as a means of strengthening the
educational system and creating smarter and
brighter minds.

Historical Facts
The idea of homework has been debated since it
was first conceived in the early 20th century. In
the 1930s the idea of 'exercising a child's brain
like a muscle' was quite popular. Homework
was just another form of exercise outside of the
classroom. In the 1940s, educators began to
question if homework interfered with home life.
After all, many students had to work on the
The Real Reason Behind the
Debate
After taking a look into homework history, it
should be no surprise that the debate continues
into the 21st century. What is surprising is that,
according to Duke University psychology and
neuroscience professor Harris Cooper, the
percentage of people for or against homework--
and the actual amount of homework given--has
hardly changed over the centuries. So why is
homework still a hot topic? Simple: Homework
is merely the center battle in the growing war
for better education.
Homework is just a small part of the
educational system, and it has become a weapon
to drive teachers apart further apart as well as
parents and administrators. It's a 'lose-lose'
battle for everyone involved. Teachers who
work hard to maintain homework are criticized,
as are those in favor of the no homework policy,
and the two are often pitted against each other.
And let's not forget the students--they are the
ones caught in the crossfire.
Homework As It Was Meant to
Be
Homework was created as a way to encourage
educational growth and discipline. Studies show
that homework has indeed accomplished this
over the years. In fact, it has excelled at its goal
by aiding in the improvement of study habits,
attitudes toward school, independent problem-
solving skills and more.
Historically, homework has been guided by
what some refer to as the 10-minute rule.
Although not set in stone, this rule has gained
support from the National Parent Teacher
Association and the National Education
Association. The guideline recommends a 'daily
maximum of 10 minutes of homework per
grade level'. For instance, third graders should
be assigned 30 minutes of homework each
night, while high school seniors should have
about two hours of homework each night.
Keep It About the Students
Although studies show the success of
homework, those same studies also reveal that,
at times, homework causes unnecessary stress
and tiredness in children and in parents.
Homework is obviously not perfect and is need
of adjustments, but those adjustments are not
black and white. Throwing our homework
across the entire education system isn't the
solution. Too much research has shown the
positive effects of homework. But overuse of
homework cannot be ignored either.
The solution to the homework debate should be
centered on the students. What works for one
classroom does not always work for another.
The teacher decides the amount of homework to
be given and should do so based on the
classroom's and school's needs. After all, all
schools are different because no one school
serves the same exact type of student. In any
given class, a no homework policy may be
adapted one year and put on the shelf the next.
It's about what the students need.
No matter what decision you make regarding a
no homework policy, make it in the best interest
of your students and not in the best interest of
fellow educators or other outside influences.
No-homework policy
bill filed in Senate
Senator Grace Poe has filed a Senate version of the
no-homework-on-weekends measures that at least two
House members earlier filed in the House of
Representatives.
Poe filed Senate Bill No. 966 seeking to establishing a
no-homework policy for all primary and secondary
schools in the country.
"All primary and secondary schools in the country
shall not allow teachers to give any homework or
assignments to students from kinder to grade 12 on
weekends," Section 4 of the bill said.
"Assigning homework to students will only be
allowed on weekdays, provided that such homework
shall be minimal and will not require more than four
hours to be completed," it added.
The proposed measured seeks to task the Department
of Education to formulate rules and regulations for the
implementation of the policy.
Sorsogon Representative Evelina Escudero and
Quezon City Representative both have filed their
versions of the no-homework policy in the House of
Representatives.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones on Tuesday
expressed support for a lawmaker's proposal to
implement a "no homework" policy among
kindergarten to Grade 12 students in the country.
"Lahat ng mga lessons dapat during school hours.
After that si parents na... Para 'yung mga bata naman
ay may time mag-bond sa parents o maglaro o just to
relax by themselves," Briones said in a report by
Oscar Oida on GMA's 24 Oras.
She added that sometimes the students are not the
ones who are doing their take-home assignments.
"Alam naman natin ang bata talaga kung minsan si
lola, si mommy, si yaya ang nagtutulong o gumagawa
mismo, si tutor, ng homework kaya minsan kung ano
nasa isip ni yaya 'yan ang lumalabas sa homework ng
bata," she said. —NB, GMA News