Homework should not be banned

====>CONTENTIONS<==== My opponent hasn't presented any case against my contention 1 and my argument goes completely unrefuted. ====ATTACK==== ATTACK1------>>"America's education system is failing."<<---------- This claim is unwarranted. Con did not say how America's education system is failing. He did not present any source,statistic or research data to back this claim up. It seems more like an assumption rather than fact. ---->> "Even though the United States does more homework, it still fails."<<------ I shall argue that this claim is also unwarranted. The most important advantage of homework is that it can enhance achievement by extending learning beyond the school day. This characteristic is important because U.S. students spend much less time studying academic content than students in other countries do. A 1994 report: The study found that “students abroad are required to work on demanding subject matter at least twice as long” as are U.S. students (National Education Commission on Time and Learning, 1994, p. 25). ATTACK2------>>"According to world-recognised neurological development academic Dr Michael Nagel, the adult brain did not fully mature until the third decade of life and too much stimulation could cause unnecessary stress."<<------->>Con did not discuss how this is relevant to homework. Excessive stimulation can be caused by other things too. Fine. Let's assume Con is accusing homework for unnecessary stress. Now, let us analyze this. 1) Too much stimulation causes unnecessary stress. 2) Too much stimulation can be caused by excessive amount of homework. Thus, homework causes unnecessary stress. ---->>>Addressing the issue: If homework is assigned within limits, it will not create excessive stimulation. Thus, unnecessary pressure will not be originated by limited amount of finely scheduled homework. If homework is planned properly by the teacher, it will not cause unnecessary stress. See x1 in my previous round for more information.ATTACK3 --->> Let's divide this into two parts. (Division1=D1 and Division2=D2). D1: There isn't a shred of evidence to support the folk wisdom that homework provides non academic benefits at any age -- for example, that it builds character, promotes self-discipline, or teaches good work habits.------- D2: We're all familiar with the downside of homework: the frustration and exhaustion, the family conflict, time lost for other activities, and possible diminution of children's interest in learning.------ Reply-1: Con lectures about evidence in D1. He says that there is no evidence to support the folk wisdom that homework provides non academic benefits, but in D2 he follows on by discussing about the downside of homework without submitting any evidence to cover his premises. He merely says that we are all familiar with the downside of homework. Reply to D1: I never said homework builds character or teaches good work habits. However, I do affirm that homework promotes self-discipline. Homework promotes self-discipline because homework encourages students to work more independently. Everyone needs to develop responsibility and skills in personal organization, working to deadlines, being able to research, etc. If students are always “spoon-fed” topics at school they will never develop study skills and self-discipline for the future. A gradual increase in homework responsibilities over the years allows these skills to develop . For instance, to read a novel or complete a research project, there is simply no time at school to do it properly. Students have to act independently and be willing to read or write, knowing that if they struggle, they will have to work through the problem or the difficult words themselves. Diane Ravitch points out that a novel like Jane Eyre cannot be completed if it is not read at home – students have to work through it themselves . -------------------Reply to D2: Con demonstrated some influences of homework on students. I shall evaluate this influences into two divisions. *Point-(1) The frustration and exhaustion, the family conflict, and possible diminution of children's interest in learning.----> Reply: If homework puts students off learning, then it has been badly planned by the teacher. As Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of Education notes, 'many teachers lack the skills to design homework assignments that help kids learn and don't turn them off to learning'[http://www.washingtonpost.com...] . The best homework tasks engage and stretch students, encouraging them to think for themselves and follow through ideas which interest them. Over time, well planned homework can help students develop good habits, such as reading for pleasure or creative writing. The research however suggests that homework is not in fact putting students off learning. Rather studies in Britain indicate that 'most children are happy (and) most are achieving a higher level than before'.[http://news.bbc.co.uk...] *Point-(2): Time lost for other activities. Reply: Homework has not prevented students doing other activities; it takes very little time to complete. Recent American surveys found that most students in the USA spent no more than an hour a night on homework. That suggests there does not seem to be a terrible problem with the amount being set. Furthermore, British studies have shown that 'more children are engaging in sport or cultural activities' than ever before.[http://news.bbc.co.uk...] As such, there is no clear evidence to suggest that students are stuck at home doing their homework instead of doing other activities. In addition, concerns over how busy children are suggest that parents need to help their children set priorities so that homework does not take a back seat to school work.ATTACK4------>> "Homework Teaches Bad Work Habits: I know this sounds crazy, because it"s precisely the reason that so many people give for offering homework. However, homework doesn"t teach good study habits. It teaches kids to study, because they have to rather than need to. Similarly, homework doesn"t help children become hard workers, because the work is not self-directed. Want to watch a child work hard and take ownership of learning? Watch a child build a bridge for fun. Let a child read a book for fun (without the bribery of fried dough) and see just how hard a kid will work when there is a meaningful goal. Hard work is a product of motivation."<<--- (1) If homework is not self-directed, it is the responsibility of teachers and parents to motivate the students doing their homework. Teachers should instruct homework in an inspiring approach. They should design homework as a purposeful goal to students. Parents should also assist students to make their homework a product of motivation. Homework should not be accused for not being the product of motivation. This objection does not justify the disallowing of homework as an activity in school. (2)Whether homework puts us off learning will always depend on the assigned homework. Activities that involve no interaction, or are not engaging will discourage learning. But homework could also mean reading an interesting book, having to find something out, create something, or doing a task with family. Homework can be as varied as class work and just as interesting. ======>DEFENCE<=======Con didn't address many of my arguments, the few he did (indirectly) were addressed in detail.The resolution is affirmed.