The leaves are beginning to change, there is once again a crisp scent in the air, and if you listen close enough you can hear the consistent groaning of children as their new teachers start assigning homework. Ah, the sweet return of school.

I can’t think of anything more exciting than the start of a new school year, especially when I was in elementary school. Except for maybe if that new year didn’t mean another 180 days of arguing over homework with parents who just never seemed to understand it. I’m not saying my parents couldn’t complete my third grade math homework, it’s just that they didn’t understand what my teacher expected out of me. My generation, and the generation currently being raised, were taught, and are being taught, in ways that are exceptionally different from twenty years ago. This has resulted in countless issues regarding homework in elementary schools because when the parents can’t help the student tends to feel overwhelmed and discouraged.

So why are we still assigning homework to these children? Why are we making five to ten year-olds go to school for six hours and then go home to do more work? Why are we not designating more time for social learning through sports, music lessons, and girl/boy scouts?

We are entering an era where young adults are already lacking in social skills because they hide behind technology, and the issue is not being helped by isolating our children so they can complete work that should have been finished in school. Not to mention the excess of homework takes a toll on both the children and their parents. Studies have shown that too much homework causes the students to develop negative attitudes that they learn from their parents. This seems odd at first, but the negativity stems from when students who are irritated with the work begin to argue with their parents. Ultimately, homework results in more bad than good especially when research does not wholly prove it is beneficial.

At the elementary school level children are at their most vulnerable in terms of molding the type of student and person they will grow up to be. In fact, there are schools referred to as “democratic schools” where students are not even offered a formal education rather they learn from each other. Every decision involving the school is voted on by the teachers and students despite the students outnumbering the teachers. Therefore, the students enjoy being in school and are more motivated to help each other learn. Basically, this idea of a free school provides evidence that social learning is essential to a child’s growth and more time needs to be dedicated the lessons learned from each other rather than from a piece of paper.

Many people will continue to argue over whether or not homework is needed in school as a whole. However, for those who value the ability to form relationships and communicate effectively, it is evident that time at home needs to be just that. Schoolwork needs to be completed during school so children are given the chance to grow up happily instead of developing negative attitudes toward school at such a young age.