My Homework Ate My Family

– Article Review From Time Magazine 1999 Essay, Research Paper

My Homework Ate My Family

Summary

Families are being torn apart. How are they being separated? If families aren’t losing each other due to divorce or death of a family member, then how are so many families becoming disconnected? Homework is the answer.

Kids are given unreal amounts of schoolwork to be completed at home these days and family time is limited or non-existent for many. Children have become puzzled while parents are pulling their hair out. An example of such cumbersome homework being given out is that of Molly Benedict, a sixth grader in San Francisco, California who has enough homework to last her until the next morning as well as mind boggling algebraic math problems that stump both of her parents.

School board officials and teachers are being attacked, harassed and questioned about the validity of the horrendous hours some students spend on homework every night. The average grade school student spent 85 minutes on homework per night in 1981, and the average student now spends 134 minutes completing their homework. This is almost a 60% increase of homework in the new decade. Who or what is responsible for this drastic change in the length of homework given each night? Perhaps the Baby Boomer generation can shed some light on the matter. Maybe the Baby Boomers reminisce on their childhood and recall the load of homework they received on a daily basis. If their children do not look as busy as they were in their younger years, than they may assume something is wrong with the educational system.

There is and always has been a powerful drive to keep kids in school and doing their best, especially in middle and upper class societies. The majority of wealthy or well off parents expect their child to become college bound. Therefore, the more knowledge kids gain at an adolescent age, the better.

Hypothesis

My evaluation of this matter leads me to believe schools do not have a handle on homework strategies that indicate what the subject matter is really teaching the children. The government needs to step in and make rules to be abided by for all students across the United States of America.

Nothing is worse than losing contact with a family member before they have passed away. However, perhaps the escalating homework times in America will higher our standard to our fellow nations knowledge level. Discipline and hard work usually lead to responsible people. Our country needs our citizens to be reliable and prepared for today’s fast paced world.

I estimate by the year of 2000 a Senator or the President himself will come up with a plan to regulate homework amounts. If this does not happen, I believe the president running for office that will win will have a grip on our societies educational needs.

Homework becoming more and more severe may cause students to boycott school, and parents to blame their government. Heavy homework could effect drop out ratings causing too many people to be on the lower end, minimum wage employment level. If this continues over a long period of time, voters may be illiterate, and naive as to what is going on in their country.

Conclusion

No one ever said being a kid was easy, but some parents feel kids should have time to be kids instead of computing, information machines. At times teachers assign homework without awareness of how much concentration, diligence and time children are spending on it. There are even children with superb potentials that give up on school when it seems to tear their emotions, family, and well being apart. Gifted and talented young individuals want to be pushed, but not to a point of no return. Even straight A genius’ know when they can’t stay up until three in the morning anymore.

The underlying question still remains. How much is too much? Is 20 minutes enough or is it too short of a time to learn anything?