December 13, 2016

Dear Mr. Donald J. Trump,

          Homework is thought to be a necessary task, but really is an unessential part, of a student's after-school day. It has been around for years and years and, as long as I’ve been around, people complain about it every day. Many think that homework improves a student's progress in school and their academic ability. Now, of course studying for a test after school is a great idea, but the usual homework is not proven to be beneficial and, if it is, the benefits are so small that the amounts are insignificant. (The Washington Post)

          There was a study all the way back in 1897 that revealed that the spelling homework given did not improve the children’s spelling later down the road at all. (The Homework Problem) There was a time in the 1990’s where a majority of Americans agreed that homework was good for students and, the more they get, the smarter the student becomes. This didn’t last long because, just a couple years later, in 1995, “a maverick school board leader in… California proposed to abolish homework from the local and public schools.” (Gill & Schlossman 2003) Now, this didn’t happen but it definitely started up the idea that homework isn’t a good thing after all.

          The whole cause of homework is simply the thought that it causes academic acceleration. For instance, it was thought of as a muscle that needed to be strengthened and worked out. I guess people didn’t take into consideration the 7 hours of school work a student receives each day. There is no need for additional time.

          There are various bad effects of homework. One effect that children all around the world face is getting anxiety and stress from the amounts of homework they receive. The stress by homework is because a student won’t think that they have what it takes to achieve a high enough score to even be encouraged to keep going. Also, the homework depression could be from the overwhelming feeling of having so much work to do on a daily basis and knowing it’s not going to stop. These stressful feelings that take place can easily be stopped and should be stopped, for benefits of America’s students.

          Many teachers, school board members, and parents believe that giving out homework is beneficial and makes students smarter. Research proves them all wrong: as said earlier, by the support of The Washington Post, studies have in fact proven that homework causes no academic benefits but instead, the multiple problems listed ahead.

          The problem with homework is not something that can’t be dealt with simply. Homework is consequential and causes so benefits. People need to really look at the statistics and understand the information proven in the studies. Once people realize this, the next step is to send out a bill, a law, or simply a message to the schools perhaps suggesting that homework should only consist of work a student did not finish during the day. No additional work should be given in school for home.

          In conclusion, homework is given out to students almost every single day of the week but tons and tons of studies have proven that this isn’t the right decision. Mr. President, it would be of your best interest to change the national homework policy for all students from elementary school to high school.