Background
Before starting this post, I must disclose my boy is NOT doing the local Hong Kong curriculum. I am not standing on the moral high ground jeering at or laughing about the the local education system. Doing this is a personal reflection for myself and to share my view with parents or parents-wanna-be.
How much homework is enough?
Research (e.g. Tam, 2009; Tam & Chan, 2016), Legislative Council (2018), and newspapers (e.g. SCMP 2016; 2017; 2018a; 2018b) have had heated debates over whether primary-school pupils have been overloaded with excessive homework.
From what I read about Tam (2009) and Tam and Chan (2016), an appropriate dose of homework may bolster classroom learning. It boils down to a question: How much is appropriate? Those dictating what the local education system should look like has clearly constructed a 30-minute-homework-a-day guideline for teachers to comply with (Legistlative Council , 2018).
Doing homework for 30 minutes every day is not that much; pupils probably handle two to three pieces each time. From a parent's point of view, this is within what they can do and complete after a whole day of school. They may feel a bit tired or may want to relax for a bit after school.
Perhaps you may say those primary-school pupils are obligated to study hard, no matter they are at school or home? I believe that those children deserve some free play time every day. This is backed by the UNICEF's (2015) claim advocating 1-hour play time daily. If adults can relax after work, why children cannot after school?
30 minutes of homework every day, really?
The writing is on the wall! The 30-minute guideline in the local education system has completely fallen through! Legislative Council (2018) discovered 2.5 hours of daily homework time to be an average. SCMP (2018b) reported something even worse; 7 pieces of homework was normal on a weekday while 10 or even more was nothing new over the weekend.
Balanced lives for pupils? Highly unlikely! Excessive homework has caused psychological problems; different degrees of anxiety or even depression have been found in some pupils (Tam, 2009; Tam & Chan, 2016; SCMP, 2018a). This is definitely not pleasing!
Has anyone in power ended the disorder?
The guideline, not required by law, is nothing but a 'guide'. It hinges on how it is interpreted by individual teachers and school management. Does excessive homework have an effect on teachers and school management? No legal consequences to be borne by teachers and school management who have not adhered with the guideline. Even more bizarre and absurd, teachers and school management are accountable for not giving sufficient homework to pupils. They are assessed by the amount of homework given to pupils. Failing to meet the criterion will cost job promotions or even jobs. To secure own jobs, most teachers and school management has played safe with the mentality of 'more homework is better than less', though some of them have been well aware that giving excessive homework does not do any good to pupils (HKEJ, 2018; Tam & Chan, 2016).
Teachers and school management are believed to be additionally assessed by results of an city-wide examination 'TSA' (SCMP, 2018b). Pupils across the city sit the TSA and results are used as data for school comparisons in teaching and management terms (SCMP, 2018b; Tam & Chan, 2016). Schools with unsatisfactory results are said to secure fewer resources at best or be eliminated at worst. To secure own jobs, most teachers and school management are said to have intensively trained pupils to be TSA competent; TSA-oriented drill-based homework has dominated and taken place of non drilling one (HKEJ, 2018; SCMP 2017; 2018a; 2018b).
An antiode to the chaos?
Examinations and homework are needed but not to a point that children cannot withstand.
Unless those top authorities in charge of the local education system will turn the 30-minute guideline into an ordinance by which teachers and school management must lawfully abide, I am not convinced that majority of pupils will be free from excessive homework.
By the same token, unless those in charge of the local education system will not eliminate schools as a result of the TSA, the examination will still be a motivator of drill-based homework.
Offspring of those top authorities are said to have never gone to the local education system; this perhaps is a reason why they have not seemed to really care about how fragile and poor the system has been? If so, this is utter non-sense and they must be condemned!
Content is original unless stated otherwise. This is not research but citing sources is to try to add believability to my post. Photos are from pixabay.
Sources
HKEJ (2018). Fear of losing jobs. HKEJ. Retrieved from http://forum.hkej.com/node/148999
Legislative Council (2018). Overall study hours and student well-being in Hong Kong. Legistlative Council. Retrieved from https://www.legco.gov.hk/research-publications/english/1718in05-overall-study-hours-and-student-well-being-in-hong-kong-20180130-e.pdf
SCMP (2016). How a Hong Kong primary school pupil’s homework load has put a strain on family life. SCMP. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/families/article/2052608/how-hong-kong-primary-school-pupils-homework-load-has-put-strain
SCMP (2017). SCMP. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2122167/homework-should-be-vitamins-advised-dosage-hong-kong
SCMP (2018a). Lawmakers demand cap on homework set for Hong Kong primary school pupils. SCMP. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2127021/lawmakers-demand-cap-homework-set-hong-kong-primary-school
SCMP (2018b). Hong Kong schools and parents could be surveyed on excessive test drilling, education chief says. SCMP. Retrieved from http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/2137655/hong-kong-schools-and-parents-could-be-surveyed-excessive
Tam, V. C. (2009). Homework involvement among Hong Kong primary school students. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 29(2), 213-227.
Tam, V. C., & Chan, R. M. (2016). What is homework for? Hong Kong Primary School Teachers' Homework Conceptions. School Community Journal, 26(1), 25-44.
UNICEF (2015). Local playgrounds unvisited for 1/4 of the time during peak hours reflects the lack of fun and challenge of the facilities Experts announce observation report on Hong Kong playgrounds and call for “Better Playgrounds”. UNICEF. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org.hk/en/local-playgrounds-unvisited-for-14-of-the-time-during-peak-hours-reflects-the-lack-of-fun-and-challenge-of-the-facilities-experts-announce-observation-report-on-hong-kong-playgrounds-and-call-for/
I think there's too much homework in general. They have plenty of time at school, so it isn't necessary. Their free time should be exactly that and used for playing, or otherwise enhancing them as a human being. A little homework, maybe, to support their schooling, other than that they should be able to have as much non-school time as possible dedicated to other interests or developing themselves…
Some homework is fine but when it’s too much, how students can find learning interesting and dedicated themselves to it?
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Thank you very much and you too!
@prch It seems like majority of the Asian countries have endless homeworks for students, while in Europe, especially the Scandinavian regions - there are BARELY any homework for their students.
I’m not completely against homework. The good side of a small or suitable dose of homework can help strengthen school learning. But too much of it, I don’t buy it.
This was an interesting post to read. To some degree, I feel like the opposite has happened. I agree with you though that an excessive amount of homework is detrimental to the students. The opposite of which I referred to is not enough homework. In many schools homework is not assigned, but is taken home only if the student didn't finish it during the school day like the other students. Unfortunately many of the students who are not able to finish during school, don't have the support at home to get it finished there either. It ends up becoming a viscious cycle and struggle for those students. Thanks for this post!
Those teachers are the one to blame. That’s definitely school work not homework. Students are supposed to receive guidance at school to complete school assignments. Guidance in written form should be extended to “homework”.
I am actually a fan of flipped instruction though not many teachers use it in the district where I work.
Those students needing to do 'homework' are probably falling behind, to help them finish at home, they need explicit hints than other students who were able to wrap up all work at school.
Written instructions are explicit and can be effective in helping them catch up. This is probably something related to student-centred learning (I guess?) where learning/teaching can be slightly customised to fit students at different levels. Less capable students are not left behind.
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