Homework remains to be a talked about topic in education, with opinions varying widely among students and teachers. For some, it is an essential tool for learning and preparation; for others, it feels like an unnecessary burden. Recent interviews with students and educators shed light on both the benefits and challenges of homework, as well as potential alternatives.

According to Education Week, 77 percent of students and more than 80 percent of parents say homework is important or very important. 

For a student like Noelani Elizalde, homework provides an opportunity to master concepts and skills outside the classroom. 

“I like to do examples and make sure I understand the concept,” she said. 

Thinking back on a journalism assignment where she had to conduct an interview, she added, “It helped me break out into it… and ended up helping me in the long run with other activities like PNN and yearbook.”

Madison Joubert, another student, sees homework as particularly helpful in challenging classes. 

“It helps me in harder classes like math or science,” she said. 

However, Joubert also acknowledged its drawbacks, saying that “sometimes it just borders on unnecessary, like repetitive homework.”

She described feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work in honors and AP classes, saying, “It can be overloading when you add extracurriculars and having a job.”

On the other hand, some teachers, like math teacher Mr. Travis, approach homework with caution. 

“Nine times out of 10, homework doesn’t help most of my students,” he said. 

While he acknowledges its value in reinforcing skills, he is concerned about students who struggle to complete assignments on their own. 

“If they don’t know it at school, they’re not going to know it at home,” he said, emphasizing the importance of class time for practice. 

Mr. Travis designs his lessons so most work can be completed in class, where students have access to teacher and peer support.

“The only real substitute for homework is doing it in class, where the environment is more conducive to learning,” he said. 

Mrs. Pierce, who teaches advanced math, agrees in theory that homework can only be replaced with time in class, but there’s one problem.

“There is just not enough time to go over examples and instructions of concepts with also allowing enough time to practice those concepts in class,” she said, “and I’m also preparing them for college and in college there’s a lot that you have to do outside of class so they have to learn that responsibility at high school.”