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> Of course, the opposite is true. Your time is the most precious, and in fact the only, resource that you have. You should guard it jealously, and only spend i

> Of course, the opposite is true. Your time is the most precious, and in fact the only, resource that you have. You should guard it jealously, and only spend it on worthwhile things. What are school-aged people spending their precious time on? Clash of Clans? Snapchat? Call of Duty? Binging Netflix? 4chan...ning? Smoking pot? Maybe it's okay if we ask them to set aside a few hours to read a book or practice solving an equation or trying to do something that isn't immediately easy.

copperx 11y ago
I think no homework has the same pro/cons than universal basic income. When I was a kid (at a Montessori school — no homework) I used my free time to learn programming, tinker with chemistry kits, and read while my public school friends toiled away at homework. I guess that other kids could squander their free time in pointless gaming or Internet browsing, but there will be a few (or ALL of them, if you buy Maria Montessori's thoughts on the matter) that will use their free unstructured time to learn something interesting to them.
- themartorana 11y ago
  This is where involved parents make a world of difference. They engage you in things that interest you, not beat you about the head with busy work. They talk with you about what you learned, read with you, teach you that hard work has its rewards, but work for work's sake is a waste. I was extremely lucky. My parents were both educators and very engaged. I hope to be the same to mine. But parents like this are all to often not part of a child's life.
- kqr 11y ago
  Interesting! I was also at a Montessori school but we had plenty of homework. Granted, it wasn't a big deal if you didn't do it every now and then, but you were expected to complete the majority of it. Either way, I think your social position shows through in your reasoning. Being able to learn programming or tinker with chemistry kits at least to a point requires parents that encourage and/or support that kind of pastime. A lot of kids don't have that, and will simply not be exposed to the existence of programming and chemistry kits. (Books are generally more accessible, but there's also something to be said for parents encouraging and supporting reading – the people I know who like to read also have parents who like to read, and the people I know who don't like to read have parents who also never read, for what it's worth.)
sanderjd 11y ago
Relaxation and socializing are important for adolescents (and people in general). Adolescents (and people in general) develop negative associations with things they are forced to do. The incredibly difficult trick is to find the right balance between relaxing and working, and to encourage an interest in valuable educational activities without forcing it.
na85 11y ago
>Clash of Clans? Snapchat? Call of Duty? Binging Netflix? 4chan...ning? Why are these any less beneficial than homework that's been demonstrated to have no benefit to the child? Until high school, there's literally no reason for the kid to be practicing math after school.
- anon4 11y ago
  4chan in particular is a great way to learn how to not be overly sensitive to what people post online for fun and that revealing you're underage leads to a ban.
- pbhjpbhj 11y ago
  >Until high school, there's literally no reason for the kid to be practicing math after school. // Maths is fun. That's a reason. Maths is useful and some children can't pay attention in class. That's a reason too. Analytical and creative thinking expands the mind, ergo maths. Different kids have different needs. Busywork for homework certainly isn't useful except as a way solely to keep a child occupied.
lmm 11y ago
I learned to program (among other things) in the time when I wasn't doing homework. Ironically enough that's probably been far more important to my eventual career than any of the homework.

copperx 11y ago

I think no homework has the same pro/cons than universal basic income. When I was a kid (at a Montessori school — no homework) I used my free time to learn programming, tinker with chemistry kits, and read while my public school friends toiled away at homework. I guess that other kids could squander their free time in pointless gaming or Internet browsing, but there will be a few (or ALL of them, if you buy Maria Montessori's thoughts on the matter) that will use their free unstructured time to learn something interesting to them.

themartorana 11y ago
This is where involved parents make a world of difference. They engage you in things that interest you, not beat you about the head with busy work. They talk with you about what you learned, read with you, teach you that hard work has its rewards, but work for work's sake is a waste. I was extremely lucky. My parents were both educators and very engaged. I hope to be the same to mine. But parents like this are all to often not part of a child's life.
kqr 11y ago
Interesting! I was also at a Montessori school but we had plenty of homework. Granted, it wasn't a big deal if you didn't do it every now and then, but you were expected to complete the majority of it. Either way, I think your social position shows through in your reasoning. Being able to learn programming or tinker with chemistry kits at least to a point requires parents that encourage and/or support that kind of pastime. A lot of kids don't have that, and will simply not be exposed to the existence of programming and chemistry kits. (Books are generally more accessible, but there's also something to be said for parents encouraging and supporting reading – the people I know who like to read also have parents who like to read, and the people I know who don't like to read have parents who also never read, for what it's worth.)

sanderjd 11y ago

Relaxation and socializing are important for adolescents (and people in general). Adolescents (and people in general) develop negative associations with things they are forced to do. The incredibly difficult trick is to find the right balance between relaxing and working, and to encourage an interest in valuable educational activities without forcing it.

na85 11y ago

>Clash of Clans? Snapchat? Call of Duty? Binging Netflix? 4chan...ning? Why are these any less beneficial than homework that's been demonstrated to have no benefit to the child? Until high school, there's literally no reason for the kid to be practicing math after school.

anon4 11y ago
4chan in particular is a great way to learn how to not be overly sensitive to what people post online for fun and that revealing you're underage leads to a ban.
pbhjpbhj 11y ago
>Until high school, there's literally no reason for the kid to be practicing math after school. // Maths is fun. That's a reason. Maths is useful and some children can't pay attention in class. That's a reason too. Analytical and creative thinking expands the mind, ergo maths. Different kids have different needs. Busywork for homework certainly isn't useful except as a way solely to keep a child occupied.

lmm 11y ago

I learned to program (among other things) in the time when I wasn't doing homework. Ironically enough that's probably been far more important to my eventual career than any of the homework.