北美考试教学中心 托福写作组 曹优优

Is it necessary to set a ceiling on the amount of homework for primary school students? As an aunt of two nieces who are about ten years old, I totally agree with the rule that teachers ought to assign homework less than 30 minutes to those little pupils.

Some critics claim that the regular school day cannot ensure adequate instruction for students. Their reasons are that it often takes a lot of practice and reviews to master a point taught in the classroom and more extracurricular preparations can help bailout of the intense peer pressure in this era. They hold a firm belief that no extra devotion to study at night is almost equivalent to idling away the whole night and an insufficient amount of schoolwork will cast a blight on the academic year. Thus, it is tempting to defy the maximum limit of 30-minute homework. However, they are intentionally underestimating the effectiveness of a teaching project. If teachers design the whole syllabus well and organize homework rationally without turning a blind eye to students’ different levels, it is highly possible for young learners to achieve excellent academic performance.

Besides, less time on homework is greatly beneficial to children's comprehensive development. Undue stress originating from a wealth of workload will dampen a person's initiative or enthusiasm, thereby inducing weariness. My eight-year-old niece is a good example. She always stays up late at night on school days owing to too much homework and sometimes she even chooses to rely on me for direct answers instead of studying or thinking independently. Apart from a poor physical condition, I think the worse scenario would be for her to be afflicted by diffidence and social disorder unless the current situation could be changed. Therefore, reducing the burden of doing homework is indispensable, which will at least help students like my niece get a breath of fresh air and get motivated by some leisure activities. Besides, When kids can spare more time for their hobbies, chances are that more versatile athletes, artists or scientists will appear. 

In conclusion, it is a wise policy to get less homework involved in children’s growth.