Talking Points: Should students be required to complete homework over the summer?
Summer is often thought of as a time for relaxation, hanging out on the beach and lazing around in the sun. But it shouldn’t be an excuse for students to forget everything they learned during the previous academic year. Summer homework gives students a chance to brush up on their knowledge. It would be a shame to have spent so long learning only to forget it over a period of two months.
Summer homework also makes it easier to slip back into the school routine when the new term starts. But it is important that teachers don’t give their students too much homework. This way they have time to take part in internships, summer camps and other extracurricular activities they wouldn’t normally be able to.
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Sakshi Gupta, 14, Kiangsu Chekiang College International Section
Most students hate doing holiday homework, which is to be expected. They believe they should have a well-deserved break during the summer, but I don’t agree. I believe homework helps to sharpen their minds and ease them into the new school year.
Also, many students binge-watch Netflix and other TV shows during the holidays so giving them homework ensures they don’t forget what they learned during the previous year. However, a heavy workload can be counterproductive because it could mean students rush their assignments without properly learning anything.
Ngai Yeung, 17, International Christian School
A summer holiday is not a holiday if there is homework to do. Students are not supposed to work all year, and that’s what holidays are for: to relax and take a break. With summer homework – especially if there’s a lot of it – there would be no time to rest or play. Even those who are travelling overseas or taking part in special classes would always be thinking about the school projects, preventing them from fully enjoying their “holiday”.
Some may argue that without homework, students may forget what they have learned and waste precious time reviewing old material at the beginning of the new school year. But some teachers don’t even check the summer homework, and many students just do it without giving any thought to the content. So does summer homework really help students to learn, or is it merely something to do for the sake of finishing it?
Talking Points: is wearing clothes from a different culture appropriation or appreciation? [Part.2]
Felix Yeung, 15, Phillips Exeter Academy
To many students, homework is agony, a serious black mark on an otherwise relaxing summer holiday. Still, evidence suggests that summer homework is good for the developing mind.
According to Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University in the US, the long summer holiday messes up the rhythm of instruction, leads to forgetting, and requires that time be spent looking over old material when students return to school in autumn. I believe summer homework plays an important role in boosting their skills and preparing them for the challenges later in life.
Sociologist Karl Alexander, of Johns Hopkins University in the US, showed that underprivileged students lose more knowledge and skills during the summer months. In contrast, children from wealthy families who attend summer camps and other activities appeared to be sharper than less privileged kids.
To all those who complain: suck it up. I mean, would you rather spend your summer months in school?
Zachary Perez Jones, 13, South Island School
Students should be given a small amount of homework during the summer holidays. However, the assignments – for example, individual research or self-study – should be related to their new syllabus. This would help students to stay in touch with their schoolwork and prepare to face the changes of the new academic year.
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Vidushi Singh, 16, American International School
Teachers like to say it’s good to revise once in a while during the summer, and that this can be done by completing homework. That might be true but, just like what teachers get during summer, the students deserve a break. We shouldn’t have to think about homework during the summer because we should be more focused on our health. In school, we tire ourselves out by learning for six to seven hours in class. Then we go home, where we stay up and do more work. It leaves us sleep deprived and stressed out. A summer holiday helps us fall back into a healthy sleeping pattern, and gives us time to relax. I know what it’s like having to do summer homework while all your friends are out having fun. Just let us run free for a couple of months.
Eunice Yip, 17, Hong Kong Shue Yan University
Never give students any homework during the summer! Students deserve a happy holiday, as they have worked so hard throughout the year. From September onwards, students have quizzes, projects, homework, and exams. Students who take up leader positions are twice as busy as others, because they have to attend meetings and activities, and make sure things are running smoothly. Students also attend tutorial classes during weekends. I understand that schools want their students to stay sharp, but if you push them too hard, you’ll get the opposite result.