Homework should be banned

Round 2 | Arguments only | by Eav | 21.10.2014I thank Con for his contribution to Round 2 and will do my best to keep up the quality of this debate myself. I will start with presenting my own arguments and sources and then rebuttal next round. Argument Structure1 Fairness1a: for students that already understood the material and could spent time otherwise1b: for students of non-supportive homes being left alone with the homework1c: for students of overly caring homes where parents involvement makes proper feedback impossible2 Learning Success Factors 2a: homework =!= understanding2b: time loss due to homework control/ review3 Benefits of Spare Time3a: self-esteem / mental health3b: positive learning experience with hobbies3c: ensuring physical health as basis for successful learningConclusionArgumentation1 FairnessWhy homework is discriminative and unbalanced1a: for students that already understood the material and could spent time otherwiseThere are many different subjects you have to take or voluntarily take at school. Math is very different than History or Business economics in terms of what you learn and how you remember it. But as teachers try to be fair, they try to give an equal amount of homework for each subject. Which turns out to be not fair. Because students, that already understood one subjects material will spent an equal amount of workload on subjects they are strong at as on subjects they are weak at. Which can mask the real problem they might have in a weak subject. Or cause frustration due to the overall workload that doesn't offer enough time to focus on the real problems while making the student do over and over again, what he already can and knows. Compulsory homework does not adapt the students individual abilities. It forces work on him/her that is therefore likely to be either too difficult or too easy. 1b: for students of non-supportive homes being left alone with the homeworkFamilies are very diverse these days. But generally schools assume that parents help the younger kids with their homework while they don't take their time for this when the kids are older. Which is an assumption that sometimes misses reality harshly.Kids from households of parents/single-parents that work a lot often face their homework alone from an early age, being left behind in school afterwards by kids that get extensive care from their parents. UE published a list of reasons they gathered from students about why they skipped homework and lacking the equipment and quiet place was also a common problem {1} . This is especially a problem for low-income households that they simply can't provided what is needed.One might say that homework is therefore discriminative against kids from poor and undereducated homes from the very beginning when skills are learned that really are mostly based on repetition rather than understanding (such a reading). 1c: for students of overly caring homes where parents involvement makes proper feedback impossibleOn the other hand are overly caring homes not that much better. They look better on the paper because the kids homework is usually proper, beautiful and correct. But how does a teacher actually know that the answers on the paper are the student ones? Parents might choose to push the abilities of their kids by giving them the answers without actually caring whether the kid understood the concept behind them, which gets more and more important around middle school, where this kind of parenting actively endangers the kids learning success {2}2 Learning Success Factors Once the kid enters middle school and has to understand complex ideas and concepts, repetition is no longer the only key to success.2a: Homework =!= UnderstandingRepetition of different problems all sharing the same solution method is necessary to develop skills in Art, Math or Chemistry or for Writing and Reading. But how fast these skills develop is a very diverse thing. That's why standardised homework assigns a broad kind of repetition often not targeting the individual problems. It is not necessary to understand the problem solution method, but requires it. One who did not understand at school will not be able to complete the homework successfully. Even for maths, studies have shown that homework has barely any relevance for the actual understanding and long term performance of the student {3}Independent reading and research to gain new skills is rarely the core of homework and requires especially supervision considering the problems of nowadays research methods such as the internet. A twelve year old should not be browsing on his own, the flood of relevant and irrelevant information is too big and it takes years to learn how to filter good sources from bad sources from irrelevant sources. 2b: time loss due to homework control/ reviewHomework needs to be checked. From the teacher to make sure the students actually did them (it's compulsory) and for the student to make sure he did not develop a totally wrong approach to the problem. This i. takes up relevant time at the beginning of the class that could have been better filled with supervised exercisesii. relies on the student actively participating in the correction timeORi. is done by the teacher which means students will get the results (and the message: you don't understand this) probably days after the topic was relevant and are thenii. left alone with the problem to solve this lack of understanding3 Benefits of Spare Time3a: raising self-esteem and reality-connection to prevent bullying /mental healthThe self-esteem of a kid is necessary to give them a positive learning environment. Or to say it different: happy people are better learners {4}. A kid that has time to develop a self-confidence outside the school can bring that in an is less likely to become bullied or be a bully or be a drop-out. Sport, a hug, art and nature, all this helps kids to feel peaceful, save and loved {4}. If we don't offer kids the time to do all this without feeling like they have to skip school work for it or without feeling rushed, we seriously endanger their mental health. Depression and Burn out becomes more and more relevant for school kids. The pressure of bringing the school home via homework contributes to this problem {5}.3b: positive learning experience Reality is beneficial. Talking to adults and mates freely is beneficial. Having the time to develop a hobby is especially beneficial. How people learn a positive image of learning on their own? By having something that makes them do research and learn on their own. If all the learning you ever do is what you are forced to, how can you have a positive image of learning?3c: ensuring physical health as basis for successful learningSport keeps you health. It's good for your teamwork-skills, self-discipline, goal setting {6} and it offers you to make new friends that don't go to your school, don't know that people there mock your for your nose and call you funny names. But especially: it keeps your body fit and shows you how to develop a healthy lifestyle {6}. Being constantly sick or suffering from physical problems early in life is likely to reduce your performance at school and later at work and the benefits of teaching children the joy of sports outside a forced environment like school can only be of long-term benefit. Something that homework should not interfere with.ConclusionHomework is therfore discriminative and ineffective and thus unncecessary waste of time.Sources{1} http://www.usingenglish.com...{2} http://www.theatlantic.com...{3} http://www.ernweb.com...{4} http://www.maggiedent.com...{5} http://edition.cnn.com...