School, work, sports, friends, family…this is just a few of the things that students have to make time for on a daily basis. That is not even mentioning all the homework teachers assign on top of all of that. So my question to you is, should homework for high school students be a mandatory requirement? In my opinion, I do not think homework should be forced upon students.

To begin with, I am not saying that all homework should just be abolished completely. Homework should be given out as extra credit to continue to raise grades, it should not be given out as an assignment that has to be due by a certain amount of time. Sometimes, students are just too busy to finish all of the homework required; which is why if a student does not complete the optional homework assignment, it cannot hurt them in any way possible.

Cheating instead of learning plays a huge role when homework is required. When a teacher assigns tons of homework and it is due by that next day, how can teachers expect students not to cheat? Students should not be punished for not understanding a homework assignment. Whatever they get finished, and as long as they genuinely tried, they should receive their full points for an assignment. Homework is causing students to resort to cheating, because they are just too stressed and frustrated.

Once you enter high school, students are at the age where they decide if they want to succeed in life or not. It should be up to them if they want to graduate and take some adult responsibilities. Whoever does the extra credit homework proves that they want to graduate, and has already gone the extra mile. 

Most teachers do not know what goes on outside of school, and most teachers go home and just relax after school. In the fall, I went to school, went to practice, went straight to work, then had to come home and finish up homework. It was exhausting. Some kids have personal problems as well as problems at home and just cannot finish the homework for those reasons. What is the result? Failing. How is that fair? Students are already in school for seven hours a day, why should they go home and have to do more work?

According to Atlas of Science studies, homework can cause depression and anxiety among many students, causing them to be unmotivated and bad for their health. Homework is literally destroying students’ health, and causing unnecessary stress on top of everything else they deal with. Teachers claim they want their students to be happy, healthy, and motivated students, yet they are the ones causing all of the stress and unmotivation. 

So, should homework be required? Or should it just be counted as extra credit, that can only help you instead of hurt you? Homework can be a great thing when you need help raising a grade, which is why it should not be abolished all together. But, a change definitely needs to happen. Quit making homework mandatory, start making it optional, and watch students become happier.