Should students be given homework during the holidays?

Question

Sorry, this was brought on by 2 hours of maths homework this morning. It wasn't even coursework.

But surely the whole point of a holiday is that you are ON HOLIDAY????

Answer 1

All work and no play ....! It is bad policy to saddle students with homework during the holidays.

It is like having the Sword of Damocles hanging over them throughout the holiday. They keep thinking, "I should do that homework now but ..." and something else more pleasurable presents itself. It is NOT conducive to relaxing

Who really needs homework when they are in Sunny Spain or on an Adventure Holiday.

Definitely, NO homework.

Answer 2

Yes, it is necessary to get all of the work covered and its not like the teachers are just sat around at home doing nothing. Plus, I think it would have been a bit of a shock to the system if I hadn't had it during secondary school, at a-level there is no way to get all the work done without working in the holidays particularly with exams just after Xmas and most people have part-time jobs at this level as well, saving for uni and so they can just buy stuff. It's just preperation for later life. Now at uni I have longer holidays but this easter I have to research, plan and write 4 essay totalling 5000 words and severall other smaller exercises as well. Also, I have to work part time to fund uni and having a life in general and take on more hours in the holidays, last summer I worked about 40 hours every week in my part-time job and I'll probably do similar this summer. In most jobs people only have 4 weeks holiday a year. Just do all the work at the beginning or work harder during in term time and do your homework then if you want the time off. Sorry, about this "rant", but two hours of maths isn't really much.

Answer 3

As a teacher I usually arranged that major research papers and other projects should be submitted prior to a holiday so that I would have time to grade them properly. I did this and had time for my family too. There is nothing wrong in giving homework over the holidays provided that the quantity and the quality of the homework is reasonable.

Answer 4

Yes, but as long as it is in proportion. For a two week Easter break three or four nights of homework is acceptable. At the end of the day you are going to have to do it at some point so better when you have spare time than when you are already struggling with time during term time.

The homework can be "fun" too. Given a book to read for English or told to research a historical even for history etc. Two hours of maths equations to solve.....ok, you may have point.

Answer 5

Hmm. Good question. Of course, I hate when I have homework during breaks or holidays...

Maybe just a little bit, but only for extra credit. We already slave hours and hours a day in class and homework. So why should we spend even MORE time?!

Answer 6

Unfortunately schools do not follow government guidelines on homework, hence there is a huge variation in the type and quantity of homework given to kids.

My daughter is doing her GCSEs next year, and all I ever hear is "we didn't get any homework today".

And it's not like she's making it up, I've complained to her school so many times that she has so little homework to do, and whenever she does get it, it is both trivial in both quantity and the effort required to complete it.

My daughter agrees with my assessment, and actually asked me if she could go to a tutor who could set her some work.

I find it is a disgraceful waste of a resource (not giving regular homework as per government guidelines), when schools are constantly complaining about how they struggle and do not have sufficient time, teachers, and other resources, and then do not make use of any of the spare time and capacity which the kids have available to them after school.

Maybe the schools just don't care?

I wouldn't knock any school that actually cares enough to set good homework, even in the holidays.

Answer 7

I agree with you, Hannah, that the holiday is meant for a time of rest and recreation and not homework. But once you get back to school it will come time again to buckle down and learn . The same will be expected of you in the working field that you had time off from your job which you earned but know it is time to put the "metal tothe pedal" and get to work, once you are back.

Answer 8

The whole point of a holiday is to relax and recharge, and i also have had a load of homework to do over the holidays, which really doesn't help. Im going to New York next week WITH the school too and they still expect me to do homework.
Good luck with you hmwk.

Answer 9

i know its stinks but if you want to get anywhere in life these days homeworks a must. get it all out the way then you have a nag free half term as yours parents wont be moaning at you to do it so when you want to go and see your mates they cant do the usual blackmail of do your homework first and it ends up to late to go out so they win. well done for making a start with you maths!

Answer 10

Hi,

I would love to know who came up with the idea that school children are students. They are not, they are pupils. You don't become a student until post compulsory education. Further or higher education.

As for the homework issue, well I believe that during the long summer holidays research projects to prepare for the new school year should be given to pupils. They complain that they are bored during this period so it gives them something to focus on. The length of school holidays should be vastly reduced to a maximum of two weeks duration and get rid of the half term holidays.

The so called teacher training days should be conducted during these break periods not during normal term time that gives pupils further time off.

The level of homework should balance out to at least 2 hours per day with 6 hours over the weekend.

This teaches time management and self discipline.