Brain scientists know that rest and exercise are essential to good health and real learning. Our unquestioned acceptance of homework also flies in the face of all we know about human health, brain function and learning. In elementary school, where we often assign overtime even to the youngest children, studies have shown there’s no academic benefit to any amount of homework at all. In a study of high schoolers conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), researchers concluded that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance.” Studies have long shown that there is no academic benefit to high school homework that consumes more than a modest number of hours each week. Like Zak, many people are now questioning the point of putting so much demand on children and teens that they become thinly stretched and overworked. How much after-school time should our schools really own? I can’t count the number of shared evenings, weekend outings and dinners that our family has missed and will never get back. Week after week, and without any extracurriculars, Zak logs a lot more than the 40 hours adults traditionally work each week - and with no recognition from his “bosses” that it’s too much. Now, even as a senior with a moderate course load, my son, Zak, has spent many weekends studying, finding little time for the exercise and fresh air essential to his well-being. We cut back on their activities but still found ourselves stuck in a system on overdrive, returning home from hectic days at 6 p.m. When my daughters were in middle school, I would urge them into bed before midnight and then find them clandestinely studying under the covers with a flashlight. With my youngest child just months away from finishing high school, I’m remembering all the needless misery and missed opportunities all three of my kids suffered because of their endless assignments.
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