Homework, an entrenched tradition in education, is taking a hit from the authors of a controversial new book that proposes ending the practice. During the early part of the 20th century, society banned homework. Then, during the early 1960s, the emphasis on homework intensified as the United States raced to put a man on the moon ahead of the Russians. The trend continued and today, policy makers emphasize homework as a way of helping students achieve academic success.
Kids have too much homework, the authors say.
Homework reflects the trend in the American workplace toward 12-hour workdays. Buell and Kralovec suggest in their book that the current emphasis on homework is unfair to poor children because they don't have the same opportunities at home to complete their assignments. The authors also say piling on homework is a way to prepare children for 12-hour workdays, which pleases business leaders. In their book, Buell and Kralovec ask policy makers, educators, business leaders, and parents to examine the homework question with open minds. The tendency to pile on the homework is actually a twist on the American work ethic gone terribly astray, they say.