I remember vividly back then how I would return from school after a long trek, I would be so worn out and hungry, and instead of me to rest, I won't be able to, loads of assignments are already there waiting for me, back then we have a book named "best solution" it comprise assignments for every subject, even with that my teacher would still give us maths, English, civic education and all sort of assignments to do at home, as if we won't rest or help our parents at home.
It was not so easy back then, my Junior ones will be there crying, my mum would be calling me every minute to do one thing or the other for her, there also is the noise of the generator, all combined would give me a hard time to concentrate, most times I would have to just close my books up and wait till night when everyone has slept, and I would still have to wake up very early, the stress on the brain back then is nothing to wwrite home about.
To me, the home should be a place of rest, a place to breathe, so I will be having a different opinion though. Once the bells ring in our schools, the children should pack their bags and go home, the school should only stay in school, there shouldn't be pressure on our parents to turn them into part-time teachers, we children have dome nothing wrong, must you put so much pressure on our brain, on us?
The only thing I can suggest is that, on Mondays to Thursdays, they should go home only only read and go through what they have learnt for the day, and make Fridays a day of classwork for them, give them questions base on what you've thought them for the week, in between there should be breaks and all. School should stay in school, no extra assignments, no pressures. You don't agree with me right?
Honestly speaking, homeworks has been part of the system for generations. Our parents had it, we had it, our children are having it and maybe the next generation also will. Today, if we find out our child comes home with no assignment we get angry and tag the teachers unseriou.
But to me, it just seems we are recycling stress in the name of discipline, sincerely, some kids barely sleep well, some begin to hate learning and all. Not to talk of children's whose parents are uneducated, who will help them? Children's in home with no light, they can't do their assignments in the day time because they would have to hawk or run errands for their parents, an already stressed child coming home at night to still do what, work on an assignment?
Our systems would be forced to be intentional if school becomes a place where all learning happens, where everything is done and taught there. Teachers won’t just rush through topics expecting children to figure it out later at home, there would be more interactive lessons, better teaching methods and a school structure that actually respects children’s time and mental health.
I know our concerns....children will become lazy, lose discipline, or forget what they learned. But we say we want innovative children, yet we don’t give them time to explore, we chain them to books 24/7. The brain needs rest to grow, they need to have time out, to see things, to ask questions, to develop life skills, to read out of curiosity and not pressure. Isn't that part of learning too?
This is not an attack on teachers, the system is broken, yet they (teachers) are doing their best. But we should not hide behind it has always been this way. Change is what we need, we need to evolve, to sit and see what else can work, and this might be the shifshift/change needed for our kids to be more productive and all. You doubt if it will work, let's start from somewhere, there was a time they doubted anything like a flying bird(plane) could exist, but look at it today, it works.
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