Homework .. Children suffer and parents wonder

Homework is rarely the subject of debate in the education sector. Is this necessary? Or are they burdening children? Do they have benefits or are they just nuisance and pressure on pupils? So far, there is no agreement between teachers, parents and their children on this issue, but many international organizations have issued warnings.

At the end of school, pupils usually return home with books and many homework they are asked to finish at home.

Although a child of this age wants to have free time to play, and parents also view this duty as an overload for them and their children, teachers consider discussing homework as an interference in their work.

Duties burden for children and their families
A World Health Organization study shows that 34% of boys and 25% of 11-year-old girls feel that homework is a burden. These numbers also increase with age, reaching 70% for girls and 60% for 15-year-olds.

These stresses on children lead to increased stress, according to the World Health Organization, and lead to serious behaviors and health problems such as headaches, back pain and circulation.

Six hours a week
Spain is one of the most homework countries, up to 6 hours a week of work that children must complete at home after a busy school day.

The International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) considers this practice to reinforce disparities and widen educational disparities among pupils, because children may find it difficult to do their homework if they do not have the right conditions or place, or if their parents are busy and do not have the necessary education, and do not know how to encourage them to Do it.

The Spanish Association of Pupil and Parent Associations has assessed this phenomenon to see whether the pupil is performing better or worse, based on the cultural, social and economic level of his family and surroundings.

This assessment showed that some parents try to help their children, while others prefer to rely on private lessons, but there is still a segment that does not have the level of education and money to provide any support.

On the other hand, teachers consider that homework helps to strengthen the instructions received by the student in school, and trained the child on study habits and encourages him to make a personal effort and organize his work and time, provided that the duty is useful and adapted to the abilities of the child and age and educational level, and takes into account the space left to play, rest and communication with the others.

Homework and stress
For studies confirming that homework causes stress and health problems in pupils, the Association of Public Sector Teachers in Spain considers that "there is no concrete evidence of the negative effects of duty on educational attainment or personal development of children".

This association reinforces its position by providing a survey on the satisfaction of families in the city of Madrid with the education of their children, where it was found that 62.9% of the parents considered the size of homework imposed on their children currently appropriate, 5% deemed inadequate, and 30.5% considered it exaggerated .

Teachers emphasize that planning and organizing homework at home is part of their professional responsibility, and emphasize the need to give respect and trust from parents, and to enable them to make this decision independently. Therefore, teachers reject any proposal that requires them to present their professional standards for evaluation by students and their families.

How do you survive your son's duties?
For Eva Bailan, a mother of three, the author of How to Survive Your Child's Duties? In support of a campaign demanding the rationalization of homework imposed on children, “many teachers, when asked to reduce duties, invoke the pressure of school curricula. This may be true, but it does not justify burdening children and their families.

The phenomenon of homework is rooted in our culture, and the teacher can impose all the exercises and work he wants, and this idea must put an end to it. In turn, there are renovated teachers, who do not impose homework, but work on projects.

The teacher 's freedom towards his pupil ends as parents' freedom towards their children begins, and their right to teach as they want, as they seek to reconcile professional and family life, Palan said.

Traditional duties lack educational value
Bailan is always convinced that traditional homework often lacks educational value.``It doesn't make any sense to have the child copy the sentences and books, and do exercises and work automatically, this is just a waste of energy, '' she says.``Our children often end up in frustration, fatigue and hate to study. ''

Children need motivational activities that encourage and motivate them to learn. In addition, the time that children spend on homework prevents them from devoting themselves to other activities that they may learn a lot. For example, they can cook with parents, accompany them with shopping, or help with housework, and learn to deal with problems in the garden or park, when they are not steeped in homework. .

In conclusion, Eva Baylan appeals to all parents to talk about this issue and not to remain silent about the suffering caused to them by the homework imposed on their children.