Teachers should assign homework to students
“Homework”. The mere mention of this word would send groans and moans rippling through the classroom, as if the world has come to an end. Although majority of the students tend to view homework negatively, there are prominent reasons why teachers assign homework despite protests from students, concerned parents and irrational researchers. Although the amount of homework to be assigned is debatable, the good intention of teachers in assigning homework should not be questioned as there are many benefits to doing homework.
Firstly, students should be assigned homework as it is platform for students to learn what they have practised. Except for the few geniuses in a cohort, who is able to absorb 100 percent of what they have learnt in class? Although there are many children who are auditory learners, most need further emphasis on the knowledge that they have gained during lessons through visual means, in any case, written homework. Some people believe that when we write down thoughts, ideas, quotes and more, we are actually imprinting them on our brains.
Instead of relying on a fleeting memory, this is a much more effective way to contain what we have learnt in school. That is why we need to diligently complete our homework, especially when they are a replication of the content taught in school. Other than benefitting from doing their homework, students benefit from the feedback that they get after their teachers have marked their assignments. Teachers’ main aim when assigning and marking homework is to gauge how much each student has taken away from the lessons delivered and whether or not they fully comprehend what has been taught.
Students themselves learn from marked assignments how they fare in the class and how much more effort they have to pour into the topics they are learning. For example, when an essay has been returned, students would know if their proficiency in English is up to standard based on the grade and comments given, and sometimes, the amount of red ink splashed onto their composition. This shows that homework is an effective communication tool between teachers and students in order to boost learning. Furthermore, students acquire discipline and time management skills as they plod through their homework.
Just as adults have to complete projects, assignments and proposals in their workplace, so is homework an equivalent task for students. To ensure that they complete their homework, students have to force themselves to put aside the time and order their brains to answer the questions or solve the sums. This constitutes discipline. By following a schedule with enough time to play, rest and spend time with their family and friends, on top of finishing their homework, students will slowly develop their time management skills. Both skills will bring them far as they progress into a stressful and demanding society, such as the one in Singapore.
In conclusion, I will still stand by the belief that homework is given for the benefit of students. As a student, homework is my responsibility and as a responsible person, I will make sure I complete my homework to the best of my ability. However, it is important that students are given time to acquire knowledge outside the classroom. Students should not be cooped up all day in a musty study room, learning things in the textbook; they should also pick up social skills through hanging around with friends and life skills such as cooking and repairing household appliances.
