When learners are given homework at school, parents are required to help out where necessary. To some parents, it can be a hassle seeing as many of them have inflexible work schedules, limiting the amount of time spent to catch up with their children’s school work. In some cases, parents have had issues when it comes to homework given by teachers. However, the question is, how much homework is too much? Josiane Uwera, a Kigali-based parent, says her son who is in P5 is a ‘slow learner’, and that it has not been easy when it comes to homework, as most of the time, she will spend long hours helping him out, especially when he has been given a lot of work. Just like Uwera, many parents face different challenges when it comes to handling their children’s homework, and to some, it is overwhelming. However, from a teacher’s perspective, the assignments are meant to help students understand the course content better and prepare them for tests in case they have them. Aminadhad Niyonshuti, an English teacher at Apapper Complex School in Kigali, says homework is necessary, but it must be purposeful. He notes that it shouldn’t be something that will consume all of a child’s free time. He says homework should be a supplemental teaching tool, explaining that most of the time, learners go home when they didn’t grasp concepts covered in class, and homework comes in to test that. In case they didn’t, he says, it’s important for a teacher to identify this through feedback. This, therefore, provides necessary help in the future. Niyonshuti says these assignments can serve a purpose, such as improving grades, increasing test scores and instilling a good work ethic. Isaac Ddumba, a teacher at La Colombier School in Kigali, points out that homework can come in the form of individualising assignments based on students’ needs, or helping students practice newly acquired skills. However, he notes that homework should not be used to extend class time to cover more contexts. How much is too much? Studies suggest that students should only be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. Each school night, Niyonshuti says, a child should spend at least 30 minutes on homework. But again, it also depends on the age of the child—younger ones shouldn’t spend too much time working on assignments. Research has shown that doing more than two hours of homework per night does not benefit students in general. Also, having lots of homework to do every day makes it difficult for teens to have any free time, let alone family time. As an educator and parent, prof. Alphonse Uworwabayeho, a lecturer of mathematics at the University of Rwanda, says in most cases, there is a mismatch in what teachers perceive as only taking a few minutes, and what really takes longer to complete. He says it’s the role of educators to discuss upcoming tests and projects, so that students don’t end up with lots of assignments, all competing for their attention and time at once. And as a parent, he advises that it’s important to encourage your child to always have a dialogue with the teacher, concerning things that they think they are not comfortable with as far as homework is concerned. Uworwabayeho says in today’s learning, there seems to be more homework, especially for younger students. This, he says, can trigger negative effects, including learners’ frustration and exhaustion, lack of time for other activities, a loss of interest in learning, among others. “The homework assignments should be meaningful and authentic as well as connected to classroom learning,” Uworwabayeho says. He adds that it can be used to teach time management and organisation, to broaden experiences and to reinforce classroom skills. He further advises that depending on the child’s age and the level, educators should strive to give homework at least once a week. This, Uworwabayeho says, is essential because it allows more flexibility and accommodates a range of student and family schedules. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
