4 ms·

Why have homework at all for anyone? Can’t the school do its job of educating within the four walls? If the school day isn’t long enough by all means let’s make

Why have homework at all for anyone? Can’t the school do its job of educating within the four walls? If the school day isn’t long enough by all means let’s make it longer.

t-3 5y ago
The problem in education is that it's very hard to separate what works and what doesn't because there are too many subjective factors. If Tommy diligently practices math every day and does all his homework, but gets worse test scores than lazy Billy, it's impossible to know whether he is studying in a counterproductive manner, has poor test-taking technique, or is just less able than Billy. If the inverse is true, intuition and a desperate desire for justice tell us that Tommy's hard work is what made his performance better (and possibly, that he works harder because he's more intelligent).
- pjerem 5y ago
  OR we can just say that it probably doesn't make a difference and that it's ok to give back to the kids the few free hours they get at home everyday by not making them do the same thing they did all the day.
ensignavenger 5y ago
Different students are... different. Some goof off all day at school instead of doing any work- should they be able to then not take the work home and do it there and still get the same grade as the students who don't goof off and get their work done in class? Should all students be required to spend the same amount of time at school doing school work when some would prefer to do their work at home? At what grade level is it appropriate to allow students to manage their own schedules and where they do their school work? Elementary? Junior high? High school? College? One size does not fit all.
recursive 5y ago
> by all means let’s make it longer. Oh ok, if you say so. I'm sure we'll get right on that. But until that goes into effect, we'll have the homework to compensate.
- bradleyjg 5y ago
  It’s a failure on the part of the education system to specify what they need to succeed. If schools are going to outsource their work back to parents and guardians maybe they should pay them.
  - recursive 5y ago
    I don't understand this point of view at all. Parents aren't expected to do homework. Furthermore, I consider it to be fundamentally the responsibility of parents and guardians to educate their children. The outsourcing goes in the opposite direction. If that education is insufficient, the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents, not the school. Maybe the parent can engage with the school to improve the situation, but that's not always a given.

Why have homework at all for anyone? Can’t the school do its job of educating within the four walls? If the school day isn’t long enough by all means let’s make it longer.

t-3 5y ago

The problem in education is that it's very hard to separate what works and what doesn't because there are too many subjective factors. If Tommy diligently practices math every day and does all his homework, but gets worse test scores than lazy Billy, it's impossible to know whether he is studying in a counterproductive manner, has poor test-taking technique, or is just less able than Billy. If the inverse is true, intuition and a desperate desire for justice tell us that Tommy's hard work is what made his performance better (and possibly, that he works harder because he's more intelligent).

pjerem 5y ago
OR we can just say that it probably doesn't make a difference and that it's ok to give back to the kids the few free hours they get at home everyday by not making them do the same thing they did all the day.

ensignavenger 5y ago

Different students are... different. Some goof off all day at school instead of doing any work- should they be able to then not take the work home and do it there and still get the same grade as the students who don't goof off and get their work done in class? Should all students be required to spend the same amount of time at school doing school work when some would prefer to do their work at home? At what grade level is it appropriate to allow students to manage their own schedules and where they do their school work? Elementary? Junior high? High school? College? One size does not fit all.

recursive 5y ago

> by all means let’s make it longer. Oh ok, if you say so. I'm sure we'll get right on that. But until that goes into effect, we'll have the homework to compensate.

bradleyjg 5y ago
It’s a failure on the part of the education system to specify what they need to succeed. If schools are going to outsource their work back to parents and guardians maybe they should pay them.
- recursive 5y ago
  I don't understand this point of view at all. Parents aren't expected to do homework. Furthermore, I consider it to be fundamentally the responsibility of parents and guardians to educate their children. The outsourcing goes in the opposite direction. If that education is insufficient, the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents, not the school. Maybe the parent can engage with the school to improve the situation, but that's not always a given.