What is homework and what is the individual teacher or school perception about homework?
One of the things I never liked about school was homework, it barely gave me a chill of joy. I mean, why would you give me homework after spending about 7-9 hours in school, I have just about 5 hours left to myself (asides time to sleep). Guess what.... the only time you can escape homework is when you're no longer a pupil or student.
Jokes aside, homework is very important as it is a way of keeping pupils and students in the learning cycle even when they are at home. It is supposed to keep the pupils and students memory fresh, give them some few exercises relating to whatever has been taught already. They say practice brings perfection, so homework when given in the right way can improve learning and understanding of pupils and students.
I have taught in a school and being a teacher isn't an easy job, kudos! to all teachers out there. I remember I'd give homework mostly in mathematics, English and other subjects that has calculations: for other subjects, I find a way to give the pupils classwork based on what I taught them a day ago. We all know that anything involving calculation needs several practices before it sticks to the brain.
I don't give much homework because I know how it feels to have so many homework to do before the next day, also I know that too much homework stresses the pupils and students a lot, they just do the homeworks so as not to be punished: no intentional learning took place. Too much homework also give the teacher a lot of work to do.
I've witnessed teachers giving out homework to their pupils and students in large numbers. They give them homework in almost all their textbooks and work book, they do it during the mid term break most times. Some teachers hide under the excuse of mid term break to give out multiple homework to cover up for not using the textbooks and workbooks in class.
Some teachers even give strange exercises to their student or pupils, especially some primary school teachers giving quantitative and verbal reasoning homework they didn't explain to their pupils, in my opinion, teachers ought to solve at least one of the examples for the pupils and students.
Funnily enough, these kind of teachers have more than 20 kids they gave about 5 to 9 homework to, I wonder how they mark all the homework when they are submitted. Those homework only stress the pupils and their parent who will monitor or guide them through.
School teachers and authorities should moderate the type and number of homework given to pupils and students per day and per week. Yes, it is important but it's needs to be done moderately. This will make homework more effective, it should be more about it's effect not the number of homework given to pupils and students. Homework shouldn't be scraped, the approach of teachers is what needs to be changed.