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NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
)
SENATE 
S. No. 882
;'j9
*22 JUL25 P2 31
RtCEiVcD BY
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NO-HOMEWORK POLICY FOR ALL PRIMARY AND 
SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY
EXPLANATORY NOTE
According to Francesca Borgonovi, one of the authors of the study titled, "Does 
Homework Perpetuate the Inequities in Education?" there is an advantage for putting 
extra hours in homework. She noted that when you look within countries at students 
who are learning in the same educational system and do more homework, those 
students do much better in school.1 However, data shows that there are diminishing 
marginal returns to homework after several hours of it.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Program for 
International Student Assessment (OECD PISA) found in 2009 that after around four 
hours of homework per week, the additional time invested In homework has a negligible 
impact on students' performance.2 Further, it looked at homework hours around the 
world and found that there wasn't much of a connection between how much homework 
students of a particular country do and how well their students score on tests.3 The 
best example of this Is Finland. Finnish students do only about three (3) hours of 
homework per week yet in 2012 they scored sixth highest In the world in reading and 
12th highest in Math on the OECD' international test, PISA.4
1 https://www.usnews.eom/news/articles/2015/03/05/study-homework-matters-more-in-certdincountries
2 OECD (2014), "Does Homework Perpetuate Inequities in Education?", PISA in Focus, No. 46, OECD 
Publishing, Paris, httDs://doi.ora/10.17R7/5ixrhahtx2xt-en
3 https://www.usnews.eom/news/articles/2015/01/05/study-homework-matters-more-in-certaincountries
4 https://www.usnews.eom/news/articles/2015/01/05/study-homework-matters-more-in-certaincountries


Finland is also known to rank I high in the international rankings for education 
systems. 
,
Not only that more homework does not translate to better student performance, 
it also gives additional stress to students, teachers and parents. More homework gives 
additional workload to our already overworked teachers and takes away valuable time 
that could have been spent with family and other activities.
Later on, OECD also found out that whatever benefit homework has is relevant 
only for measuring student achievement within each country, and that It tends to 
reinforce the achievement gap between the rich and the poor.5 Specifically, in all 38 
countries included in the OECD study, they discovered that homework hours vary by 
socio-economic status. According to the study. It is not just poor kids are more likely to 
skip their homework or do not have a quiet place at home to complete it, schools 
serving the poor kids also do not assign as much homework as the schools for the rich. 
Often, poor students also have limited access to resources necessary to complete their 
homework.
Hence, this bill aims to limit the homework given to students from Kinder to 
Grade 12 during weekdays and prohibit the same on weekends to safeguard and 
promote the welfare of teachers and school children, protect them from conditions that 
may adversely affect their health and tneir right to a balanced life, and uphold equality 
among students across different socio-economic backgrounds.
This bill, when enacted into law, will institutionalize and expand the Department 
of Education (DepEd) Memorandum Circular No. 392, s. 2010 which advised teachers to 
limit the giving of homework to public elementary school pupils on weekdays and to 
refrain from giving homework on weeke nds.
In view of the foregoing, the immediate passage of this measure is earnestly
sought.
GRACE
5 https://www.usnews.eom/news/articles/2015/0i/05/study-homework-matters-more-in-certaincountries
2


NINETEENTH CONGRESS OF THE 
)
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
)
First Regular Session 
)
SENATE
s. No. 882
‘‘i1',.'' 
e'ltn
V.. S 
• A,.*Hi? 5,,,
■22 JUL25 P2:31
RLCEIVHO EV;
Introduced by Senator Grace Poe
AN ACT
ESTABLISHING A NO-HOMEWORK POLICY FOR ALL PRIMARY AND 
SECONDARY SCI lOOLS IN THE COUNTRY
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
1 
Section 1. S/?ort Title. - This Act shall be known as the "No Homework Law".
2 
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared the policy of the State to
3 
safeguard and promote the welfare of teachers and school children, protect them from
4 
conditions that may adversely affect their health and their right to a balanced life, and
5 
uphold equality among students across different socio-economic backgrounds.
6 
Sec. 3. Scope. - This Act shall apply to both public and private primary and
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secondary schools.
8 
Sec. 4. No Homework on Weekends. - All primary and secondary schools in the
9 
country shall not allow teachers to give any homework or assignments to students from
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Kinder to Grade 12 on weekends. Assigning homework to students will only be allowed
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on weekdays; Provided, that such homework shall be minimal and will not require more
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than four (4) hours to be completed.
13 
Sec. 5. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - Within ninety (90) days from the
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date of effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education (DepEd) shall formulate the
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rules and regulations to effectively implement the provisions of this Act.


1 
Sec. 6. Separability Cause. - If any portion or provision of this Act is declared
2 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provisions not affected thereby shall
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remain in force and effect.
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Sec. 7. Repealing Cause. - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
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order, letter of Instruction, rule or regulation inconsistent with the provisions of this Act
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Is hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
7 
Sec. 8. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days following its
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complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
Approved,