Too much homework is bad for children's health

Since elementary school, we are no doubt familiar with the assignments that we bring home, or what we call homework. Homework is identical to student worksheets in the form of worksheets for writing, counting, coloring, or whatever. Homework given by the teacher also varies, from easy to difficult. Not infrequently, parents also become confused to help with the child's homework. However, do you know if homework turns out to be bad for children's health? Check out the following explanation.

Too much homework is bad for a child's health

From kindergarten to high school, recent research shows that some students get too many homework assignments from school. This forces students to handle workloads that are not balanced with their developmental levels, which can cause significant stress, both for children and for parents.

Research conducted by a group of Australian researchers investigated the relationship between time spent on homework and student academic performance. As a result, they found that most students who get too much homework will actually increase health problems due to lack of sleep, stress, lack of time to play, and so on. Too much homework doesn't help kids get good grades in school, but in reality it actually causes their test scores to drop.

This is confirmed by Richard Walker, an educational psychologist at the University of Sydney who said that if the data shows that in countries where the majority of children spend more time doing homework, they score lower on a standardized test called the Program for International Student. Assessment, or PISA.

Then there is another researcher conducted by Professor Etta Kralovec from the University of Arizona, he said that homework does have significant benefits for high school students. However, the benefits decrease for junior high school students and do not benefit elementary students at all.

A lot of homework doesn't always improve children's performance

Harris Cooper, a professor of education at Duke University, says that the best way to think about how much homework is ideal for students is basically the same as someone taking drugs. If you take a lot of drugs it will have an effect on the body. However, if you take the medicine in the right amount, you will feel better.

So according to Cooper, whether or not a lot of homework is charged to students should be measured by the capacity and ability of the students themselves. Because of that, the opinion that "the amount of homework that is charged to students can improve children's achievement" is not always true.

Cooper also recommends that students be given no more than 10 to 15 minutes per night to do their homework while in elementary school. But every year, it is better for the child to gradually increase his homework time which is no more than 10 to 15 minutes.

Solution: replace homework with something fun

The various debates about homework over student achievement actually imply that there is a better way for students to spend after school hours than having to finish a bunch of homework.

So, what should they do? According to Gerald LeTendre, a professor of education from the University of Pennsylvania, learning to play a musical instrument, developing talent, being active in extracurricular activities such as clubs or sports is better than doing a bunch of academic homework.

Apart from being much more beneficial, these activities also have more long-term goals. This is because many parents want their children to be knowledgeable, creative, and happy individuals - not just academically smart kids.

Abolition of homework for students in Indonesia

In Indonesia, the elimination of homework for students has actually begun to be implemented. Reporting from the Kompas website, the Regent of Purwakarta Dedi Mulyadi made a new breakthrough by providing a rule prohibiting teachers from giving homework to school students as stated in the Circular of the Regent of Purwakarta No 421.7 / 2014 / Disdikpora. The letter, which was signed on September 1, 2016, was also socialized to education implementers such as teachers and school principals in the Purwakarta area.

Pak Dedi enforced this policy because so far he thought that homework given to students was more in the form of academic material which was not much different from what was taught in school. Therefore, it is hoped that the homework assignments of students can be more applicable by replacing homework in the form of productive creative work in order to stimulate and foster the potential, interest of students, instead of putting a burden on students.

The policy made by the Regent of Purwakarta was also appreciated by Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. Even Pak Muhadjir has a discourse that he wants to continue this step into national regulations. Hmmm.. we'll see the developments on this policy later, OK!