Education 1
Wretched Homework
I hated homework when I was in school and I hate it even more now. Not only did it cut into my free time, but I think that in general it sets a bad precedent and is leading to the breakdown of family. Here’s why:
First, it lets teachers off the hook. They have an allocated amount of time to teach their particular subject. In most other jobs, if you can’t meet your deadline, you don’t pass the work down to subordinates. You have to work harder yourself because it’s your butt on the line. Allowing teachers the freedom to give students assignments to take home lets them squander the time they have. When I was in school, I remember listening to boring lectures, getting a reading assignment reiterating what was just lectured, then a writing assignment that went over the information yet again. Two thirds of the work was done out of class. It is a waste of time and allows inefficient and ineffective teaching.
Second, homework doesn’t give the teacher the opportunity to help students out of trouble. Most schools don’t give out the teacher’s home phone number so they can’t help students if they have difficulty with an assignment. While being a double standard (you work at home, but don’t bother me there), it also leaves the student in the cold. The alternative is for the student to find a parent, another student, or a tutor to do the teacher’s job – teach.
Third, it sets a terrible example for life. The core of America’s strength has always been its faith in God and the nuclear family. Statistics show the breakdown of the traditional family at alarming rates. One reason is the functional absence of fathers. Although a parent may be home, they often supplement their office time with work at home. Where do you suppose that father learned that it was okay to bring work home? I blame homework.
Keep work at work and home at home for the family’s sake. Restructuring core curriculum and refining teaching techniques should sufficiently allow work to be done in class where it belongs. How should that restructuring be done? That’s another can of worms for another blogging day (Education 2).
