Too Much Homework
Written by Tabitha Hartman, Former Student on Thursday, November 13, 2014
How many times have you come home from school, already exhausted from your day, and realized you still had hours of homework ahead of you? Well, it’s time for things to change. A high school student's work load is too much to handle.
It is true, of course, that giving students homework is beneficial, and it raises text scores and grades, but at what costs? A high school student on average has 17 hours of homework a week. We already spend eight hours a day at school, but then to take hours more of it home is ridiculous. A Stanford researcher reports that the average high school student does about 3.1 hours of homework per night. The amount of homework given has increased by more than an hour per night since 1981 and it seems students were happier back then. The pressure that’s put on kids is killing them.
Even more importantly, students have things on their plate other than school, and it seems teachers don’t understand that. With jobs, sports, chores, household responsibilities, and hours of homework, it’s a miracle students can find the time to shower and eat. A student is expected to get their chores done, excel at sports, get straight A’s, stay hygienic, get eight hours of sleep, and do all that without complaint and a smile on their face. The things expected of a kid is simply too much.
The average high school student’s anxiety level is the same as a psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s. The pressure put on students has caused great anxiety and depression. A Stanford researcher finds that the amount of homework given negatively affects kids. Many schools, such as Los Altos High have reported a rise in anxiety levels. According to National Institute of Mental Health, 25 percent of teenagers suffer from major anxiety - and the numbers just keep rising. A quarter of all teenagers are struggling with anxiety and teachers are just adding on to that with the hours of homework they are given. The National Institute of Mental Health also states that 11.5 percent of teenagers suffer from extreme depression. Teenagers, who should be happy and carefree, are so anxious and depressed it’s hard to get out of bed. If teachers do not see the role they play in this, or the problem with it, there is something seriously wrong.
Students should not have so much homework that they become depressed and ridden with anxiety.
Teachers should think of all the other things their students have to deal with and consider lessening their work load by giving slightly less homework. So if you're a teacher, next time you are about to assign hours of homework to your students, think about their well being first.
