No to “no homework”

For four years, I struggled through my high school life in Cebu Normal University - not because of petty fights with my friends or class-level rivalries but because of the many assignments we had to do. If there were eight subjects in a day, we had to submit eight assignments the following day. They weren't even easy assignments. We were asked to write poems, songs, draw posters, compose essays, and all that. Every day for four years, we toiled at night to do homework. During my first few months, I cried at night because it was too much too handle, but eventually I got the hang of it. I looked forward to the task that the teacher would give us at the end of the day and already imagined in my mind how I would do it.

I only understood the essence of assignments when I reached college when the piles of readings and assignments from the different subjects came almost all at once. By then it was already easy for me to manage my time despite the numerous tasks, add to that the extracurricular activities I was in.

So when the lawmakers introduced a bill banning homework, I was quite shocked. Why? They reasoned lack of time for the family - isn't time management the answer instead? Most of the people my age grew up with homework but we were still able to see our family members, heck, even sit down with them for dinner. I have always believed that being busy is a myth and if people really matter to you, you will always make time for them. Was I exhausted by the tasks? Yes but it also taught me how to cope with stress, noting that this generation is exposed to too many stress factors.

I can't comprehend what kind of children they want to raise. It seems like it will incapacitate them with the ability to be hardworking individuals in the future. In a way, it’s a big advantage because they will have more time for themselves and family - but the question is, will their family also spend time with them? I have talked to many children who prefer to stay with their teachers after school for classes like music and arts because they are given more attention than in their homes. This is reality, that there are dysfunctional parents despite their presence.

Although the bill still has a long way to go, I hope they will give this serious consideration. Not only to the students, but equality even to the teachers themselves. It needs careful study, with cases that speak for the majority. I am for the assignments that train students to be the best they can be and that they may remember what they have learned in school. If only we can discuss this in context, then it would be very much better.