For a moment, let’s pretend to be an elementary school teacher. You earn a salary low enough to afford maybe one or two meals at McDonald’s once a month; you have volumes of paperwork to fill out to satisfy your school’s bureaucratic systems and local, state and federal regulations; you have little or no resources, and that includes chalk, pens, pencils and books; you get a barrage of free advice and relentless complaints from parents who are teachers in absentia; and you have a class full of children, many hungry and sleepy. This scenario may not fit the affluent schools, but it aptly fits many schools in this country, especially those in low-income neighborhoods. It is within this context that the debate about too much homework and its detrimental effects rages today.
The report card on American education is not good. College graduates are unable to do many things that were once taken for granted for those with a high school education. These include fundamental skills such as the ability to write, do basic math, integrate quantitative and qualitative skills, think critically and be a good problem-solver. American corporations are investing billions of dollars to shape up our college graduates and give them skills they should have acquired in high school.
Anytime there is a study on how graduates are failing this nation, the public flogging of teachers starts with great enthusiasm. Teachers are unprepared, unwilling and lazy, and “This broken system must be fixed” is the mantra of politicians and the public. While some of the complaints against teachers may be valid in some schools, and some parts of the system are terribly broken, the American education system is failing because the partnership between parents and teachers is weak or nonexistent in many public schools.
Many kids go to a second school after school, except that this one is optional: It is called the school of extracurricular activities. After such a brutal schedule, when it is almost time for bed, the kid sits down to do homework. Parents also complain that their child’s homework gets in the way of their weekday social engagements. The idea that weekdays are not meant for late night social engagements is blasphemy to some parents. And then teachers must answer to parents who complain that their child gets too little homework. Asian parents, in particular, overuse this script.
Children succeed only when parents support teachers in their endeavors. Parents who berate teachers in front of their children send a lifelong message both about the profession of teaching and the value of a teacher to society. Parents who do their kid’s homework for them to get it done and over with teach children to look for short cuts. Parents who think their child should never experience any frustration teach children that only things that come easy are worth pursuing.
The issue is not about too much homework or too little homework. The issue is about the kind of homework. Homework should lay a strong educational foundation for global citizenship. It should challenge the child to think critically, integrate different sources of knowledge and remain excited about learning. It should help parents and teachers glean the unique talents of the child and help the child find his or her niche in the world. Micromanaging the teacher does nothing to boost a child’s confidence in the teacher, the school or their love for lifelong learning. A child’s enthusiasm for the homework assignments speaks volumes about the teacher. A child’s performance on homework assignments speaks volumes about the parent.
“While some of the complaints against teachers may be valid in some schools, and some parts of the system are terribly broken, the American education system is failing because the partnership between parents and teachers
is weak or nonexistent in many public schools. ”
Uma G. Gupta is a lead professor at the State University of New York at Brockport and a senior adviser to SUNY for Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.