The kids are all write: Is home a place for work?

I want to stop ‘homework’: home is not a place for work, but for recreation, trying out hobbies and spending precious time with family. Adults are telling children to spend time with their family, then we get a pile of homework to we have to do to avoid school punishment like a detention or exclusion. Some parents want to spend time with their children but they can’t as they have to do work too.

I think that we should not do any work at home because we never get any time to ourselves to just be ourselves and find out who we are. There are other countries, such as Finland, who don’t give out homework and they still have a very good education system. This surely means we can do the same?

Personally, I sometimes get very stressed because I have worked all day in class and then I have to do more at home as well. I don’t see the point in this.

Other people think that doing homework is important because it helps them with their school work. They say that you should keep homework because it helps you study and you can work at your pace rather than the teacher directing time deadlines. They say it should not be stopped because it helps you with your tests and exams. If this is true, why is our education system behind other countries and we have low exam results in many schools? Surely, if we had time to spend time with our family and friends, we would be in a happier state to do our school work?

Why is our education system behind other countries’?

I think homework would only be okay if it were long-term projects, because making projects is a fun way of learning. With a project, you can involve your family with the ideas and have family discussions. If you do projects your family and even your pets can be in the same room with you without annoying or disturbing you! Spending time with your family while doing homework is better than being stuck in your room without anyone to talk to or to help you.

I know it is important to spend time with family now: when we are older, it may not be so easy. I don’t want it to be like that; I want to make time to look after my family and friends and make sure work doesn’t take over, as home is for family not for work.

Nine students from Portslade Aldridge Community Academy have been writing their own articles about something that matters to them, as part of Little Green Pig’s weekly after-school Tuesday club. For more info about the projects being set up for young writers across the city, go to littlegreenpig.org.uk