Promoting the well being of students by limiting excessive homework
Promoting the well being of students by limiting excessive homework
Why this petition matters
On average, middle and high school teachers assign about 4 hours of homework a day, which equates to about 20 hours of homework on weekdays; during remote learning, it's even higher. On a single day, it could be as high as 8 hours if the teachers do not coordinate with one another. The author of this petition believes that it’s counterproductive to force students in middle and high schools to do more than 2.5 hours of homework a day for emotional, physical and mental health reasons.
- Stanford University conducted a study with over 4,000 participants in California high schools, concluding that the optimal amount of homework should be 1.5–2.5 hours per night. After doing homework for more than 2 hours, the benefits plateaued. According to the same study, many students stated that excessive homework led to stress and sleep deprivation. Youth suicide rates have been on the rise, increasing from 2007 to 2017 by 56%, making it a leading cause of death among teenagers. Keeping students emotionally and mentally healthy, so that they can enjoy spending time with family and other activities, is of the utmost importance.
- Physical health is just as important as mental health. A 5,000-participant study from Harvard Health, concluded that stress causes eating disorders, which leads to obesity and depression, and could ultimately lead to suicide.
The author’s intent in writing this petition is to advocate for all students who are forced to do excessive amounts of homework, which will harm their emotional, mental and physical health. Limitations should be set for the betterment of the students.
If students receive more than 2.5 hours of homework for all classes on a specific day:
- Students should be given extra time to turn in their homework without penalty.
- Teachers should coordinate with one another to make sure that unreasonable amounts of homework will not be assigned to students.
Sign this petition to show your support, and please ask your friends and family to sign. Together, we can improve students' well being!