Homework should be made optional by all schools. It keeps children up until late, is more harm than good and it causes health problems.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, children do an average of six hours of homework each night. Children should get at least nine hours of sleep at night. With six hours of homework in a five hour period, where does family and social time fit in? Children need a balance in life. If they have to go to school and do work the whole time at home, they will be tired of thinking and lose interest in their future and jump at an opportunity to drop out of school. They may even take a job that requires the least amount of work because they are tired of having a whole life centered on work.

Homework often consists of sitting in a chair with your back in a threatening position, and your eyes locked to a computer screen or paper. This causes many problems, such as bad spinal growth and pains, eye damage and even obesity. Because children do not get enough time to exercise for they have too much homework, the risk of health, emotional and social problems increases. Obese children are also more likely to be obese as adults, increasing their risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease and strokes. Doing more exercise can stop obesity, but where will children fit this exercise in?

Many parents and teachers argue that homework improves grades. This point has not been proven. In some cases this may be true, but in others, it is not.

Homework is a waste of time that is stressful. It’s pain with no gain.