Buổi 47: Reading – Academic: bài dài & Yes / No / Not Given

Is homework still worth it?

(Bài viết ý kiến tự viết; tác giả giả định.)

A Every evening in many homes, the same scene takes place: a tired child sits at the kitchen table, a parent tries to remember how to divide fractions, and everyone ends up in a bad mood. It is not surprising that some parents now ask whether homework should be banned altogether. In my view, that would be a mistake – but the kind of homework that many schools give certainly needs to change.

B Supporters of a ban argue that children already spend six or seven hours a day at school and need time to play, rest and be with their families. I have some sympathy with this argument, particularly for younger pupils. A six-year-old who has worked hard all day gains very little from another hour of worksheets.

C For older pupils, however, homework can be valuable. It gives them a chance to practise what they have learnt, and, perhaps more importantly, it teaches them to organise their own time. These are skills they will need at university and at work, where nobody will tell them exactly what to do every hour.

D The problem, I believe, is that too much homework is simply repetitive. Copying out twenty similar sentences or completing page after page of the same type of maths question is likely to make pupils bored rather than more capable. Good homework, by contrast, asks pupils to do something different from what they did in class – to read, to find information, to make something or to explain an idea to a family member.

E Another concern is fairness. Not every child has a quiet place to study, a computer or a parent who has time to help. When homework depends heavily on support at home, it can increase the gap between children from different backgrounds. Schools should therefore offer homework clubs where pupils can work with a teacher after lessons.

F In short, the question is not whether homework should exist, but what kind of homework is worth doing. A small amount of interesting, well-designed work is far more useful than hours of copying. Schools that understand this will have happier pupils – and, I suspect, happier parents too.

Greenhill International School – Year 3 Science Trip

Dear Parents, Year 3 will visit the City Science Museum on Friday 13 November. The bus will leave school at 8.15 a.m. and return at about 2.30 p.m. Children should wear their sports uniform and bring a packed lunch and a water bottle. The trip costs 150,000 VND, which includes the bus and museum entry. Please return the signed consent form and payment to your child’s class teacher by Monday 9 November. If your child has any allergies, please write them on the form.