The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is discussing making changes to schools’ policies regarding homework. There is nothing inherently bad about taking a look at the amount of homework that students are getting and making change if necessary. But whenever the word “progressive” is used to describe policies under discussion, you just know it does not bode well for children.
While everything that is currently wrong in the world can be blamed on George W. Bush and Stephen Harper, the reality is that 40 years of uncontrolled liberalism provides the root causes (progressives just love that term, “root causes”) of many of society’s ills. The notion that governments and not individuals are responsible for fixing everyone’s problems has turned a country of once independent and proud people into a nation of whiners and complainers. It is in this light that the TDSB proposed changes must be looked at.
Not all the suggestions are bad. One proposal is that students not be given any homework during holidays or long weekends. That is reasonable; the whole purpose of having holidays is so that people can relax and not have to worry about work. Children should be treated no differently. Of course, being a “progressive” school board, the TDSB went further and expanded holidays to include “days of significance” whatever that means. The mind boggles at what will become a day of significance. Surely it will include all religious holidays, Earth Day, Pierre Trudeau’s birthday, December 6 (to mark violence against women) and who knows what else. Homework-free days will become as numerous as the days when the flag on the Peace Tower will be flown at half staff if the opposition parties ever get their way. It might be better and less confusing to simply just abolish homework completely.
Another proposal is to reduce the amount of homework that kids are getting. Again, there is nothing wrong with this provided that proposals to lower the amount of homework are implemented for the right reasons. Overworking children, like overworking those in the workforce will surely be counterproductive. But some of the reasons that are being put forward to decrease the amount of homework kids are assigned are specious. One is that a lot of homework causes too much stress on the parents, especially parents who don’t have a good command of the English language. This suggestion is consistent with our present adult-centric world where easing the stress of parents takes precedence over the welfare of children. There is certainly nothing new here.
Another reason put forth to reduce the amount of homework is that it will give kids an opportunity to spend more time outside playing rather than sitting home and doing school work. This is important say the proponents who point out the rising obesity rates to justify their position. The reality is children don’t go out and play anymore which has helped to lead to greater obesity in kids. You can’t expect kids to go out and play in a world crawling with pedophile perverts lurking in every corner. Having children do less homework will simply mean giving them more time to watch TV, surf the Internet and play video games. Nice try though.
By far the most troubling recommendation in the recommended changes to homework is one that proposes that there be no punitive consequences to homework not being done or handed in late. This idea conforms to the idea that making the little dears feel good about themselves is more important that teaching them how to grow up to be responsible hardworking self supporting adults. At least there is some opposition to this proposal. If kids grow up thinking that doing an incomplete job is acceptable or has no consequences, society as we know it will be finished. Graduates of this type of education will be unable to hold a job except perhaps as a municipal employee of the city of Toronto. Students might as well drop out and take their chances in the real world.
There was a time when students went to school to learn. Now they are simply pawns of the “progressives” who simply use them to carry out social experiments that they wrongly think will lead to the utopian world that exists only in their imagination.
If anyone thinks the world is in a mess now – wait until the next generation takes over.
