Students today are expected to manage incredibly hectic schedules. After a full day of school most students have clubs, jobs, sports practice, and a pile of homework. Teens have an average of 3 ½ hours of homework every single night (University of Phoenix study). Students are reported to have high anxiety and stress levels from an overwhelming amount of work and expectations on a daily basis (American Sociological Association). Recent studies have even shown that homework has minimal impact on the final grade students obtain in the class.

All this begs the question, “Should homework be eliminated?” This may seem absurd, but there are multiple examples of schools and teachers limiting homework assignments, and the students benefitting as a result.

According to the New York Times, one of the most successful school system in the world is Finland where students actually have little to no homework every night. Their students have a shorter school day as well, correlating to the short attention span of today’s youth.

Large amounts of homework also have a damaging result socially. Interacting socially with friends and family is critical to the success of a teen so that he can become a functioning citizen of society. A second grade teacher in Texas has banned homework and encouraged parents to “eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside, and get your child to bed early.” People are beginning to view family time as a priority, which is beneficial to the overall health and happiness of this generation’s youth.

Some students say that longer periods of time should be given at school to complete work and fully understand the concept with the teacher present. “It is really stressful to try to do extra work after school. We should have longer study halls during the day to complete assignments,” CCES junior Martha Quattlebaum stated.

Kelly Elementary School in California believes in the same concept and has banned homework for the entire school year to ensure that all students did their learning during the day. Banning homework entirely might not be the best solution, but just like in the real world, finding a balance of work and play is critical to success.