NO HOMEWORK POLICY, SERIOUSLY?

We do not agree with the position of the Department of Education(DepEd) that a ‘no
homework’ policy be implemented to students where assigning of academic work to be
completed by students outside of regular school hours, is beneficial to Filipino students.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones recently engaged in a hot issue concerning no

Homework is a vital part of education, because it gives students the opportunity to apply
knowledge gained in the classroom. This occurs in two ways – not only by creatively applying the
educational content, but also in giving students practice in developing good work habits and
methods. From a practical point of view, homework allow ‘more education’ than can be fir into
a few hours of a school day. And far from preventing families from bonding, homework
encourages parents to become more involved in their children’s educational activities.

Although the concern for the welfare of students are their families is appropriate, that
welfare will be hurt in the long run if the students fall short of the volume of educational content
they can access, developing problem-solving and creative thinking skills, and parental awareness
an involvement in their educational activities. As a result of a ‘no homework’ policy, Filipino
students will be less prepared for higher education or the workforce, and ultimately the entire
country will suffer the consequences.

We suggest that, rather than a ‘no homework’ policy, DepEd should review and modify
existing policies regarding homework to ensure that they meet productive goals. Homework
should have clear educational objectives, and certainly should not pose undue physical and
financial burdens on students and their families. Those standards can be achieved, however,
without resorting to banning homework entirely, and still ensure that our youth are adequately
prepared to take on the challenges of a competitive world.

Homework, or additional ‘research; or supplemental work after, and above and beyond,
class lectures, sea work, and recitations are an integral and necessary part of the meticulously
calibrated, scientific design of education, to be guided and controlled by the syllabus and course
outlines from basic to secondary school to collegiate, masteral and doctoral. For almost five
centuries of the Philippine educational system, the Filipino child expected, needed and accepted
‘homework’ or outside-the-classroom work to supplement what was being taught in the schools.

Some proponents of the no-homework proposal cite Sweden as the model of pupils being
taught comprehensively enough during school hours, and thus no need for homework. But
Sweden has a teacher-to-pupil ratio of 1:11.9 for primary and 1:13 for secondary levels. The US
has 1:15.23 and 1:15.9 respectively (Education Statistics nces.ed.gov/1992) and Singapore has
1:15.2 for total both levels (2017 data.gov.sg 2017).

Now, let’s look at primary and secondary education in Singapore, extolled by the OECD
(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) in 2014 as having the best
educational system in the world. There, on top of homework, is the tradition of the ‘after-school
program’ voluntarily paid for by parents to tutor children after regular school hours. A 2012
report by Asian Development Bank and the University of Hong Kong showed that 97% of all
Singaporean students are enrolled in tutoring schools comparatively costing 80% of regular
school tuition. The same drive for better education brings nearly 90% of South Korean primary
students an about 85% of Hong Kong senior secondary students to after-school tutoring,
according to the same study.

And here we are, cutting down on the preparation of our young students for life. Mr.
Vargas, in proposing HB 3883, cited a 2018 study in South Africa that had argued ‘that homework
is a burden for children and parents,’ has caused the decline of family time, and even undermines
learning interest,’ according to a Rappler story on Aug.28.

Teacher’s Dignity Coalition said: “Our teachers are trained educators. We now the value
of homework. It’s about discipline, responsibility, and continuity of learning,” quoted rappler.
That captures the exacting trade-off of no-homework. The molding of principles and values will
be retarded with less training in responsibility and discipline that would have prepared our young
students early on for the realities and challenges of adult life. In basic education, the child is
ushered into community life outside the controlled environment of the home, where in the
classroom there are individual roles, responsibilities and deliverables under supervision and
guidance of an authority who is not a parent. Up the educational ladder, performance is
measured and marked, which builds the instinctive discipline to comply and abide by rules and
earn ‘promotion’ by the quality and quantity of incremental mental, emotional, and physical
development in progress. School is a preparation for a career or profession, not only in terms of
the curriculum vitae nut in the ingrained values of discipline and responsibility learned above
academics. And even in a job or a practice, there is always homework and continuing education.

Lawmakers should have done their homework on their dangerous “No-homework”