And why was that? The teacher has got every right to give you homework. We definitely don't come to school to party around with our friends. There's a reason why we get homework. It is so that we retain what we have studied at school instead of letting it all go down the bins. By catching up with homework, our parents get to know what we're doing in class. That is why they put us in school in the first place because it's not possible for them to teach everything to their children themselves. When we submit our homework, the teacher also gets to know our problems, things where we lack practice, and if we were mentally present in the class while she was teaching or not.

By doing at least some work by ourselves, we get to know our capabilities, and can enhance them further. It also teaches us time management, which is important to lead a healthy and happy lifestyle. If we didn't get homework, we'll spend the whole day sleeping, eating, and sleeping again. And why is it a burden? How many of us have to do household chores? Our mothers do all these things for us. Our parents ask of us to study hard and get good grades, and for that homework is important. Is that too much to ask for?

Qurratulain Shahood

14 years, Karachi

Everyday we attend school, and usually come home with an EXTREMELY heavy load of homework! At school we work hard, give tests, and put our best to our studies. But when we come home, we repeat that all over again! In fact, in some schools, it is more work to do at home than in classroom. I definitely think that homework ought to be abolished, and I have a very good reason for it when we grow up, our responsibilities grow like anything and we get very busy. All adults have to face it. At least as children, we should have something to look forward to when we come home, but then again we have to study! My parents work hard all day, and hardly get one hour of leisure per week! My 13-year-old brother also works till midnight some days! The homework increases per day! Hence, I feel that homework ought to be abolished so that we can enjoy life during our childhood!

Maryam Shaikh

10 years, Karachi

 Homework, homework, homework. This word is consistently revolving around the minds of our youth. Some of them want it to be absolutely eradicated or abolished while some of them want it in order to be efficient and competent in their studies; some of them consider it a headache and think if homework is a must then why actually do we go to school? After a hectic and tiresome routine at school, we are frustrated and homework doubles our burden.

As far as I am concerned, school without homework is not an image I can fathom; there are many solid reasons why homework should not be abolished and they are as follows

Homework allows a teacher to understand the child's weaknesses and in turn giving him/her the opportunity to improve and acquire new skills.

• Also taking out time each night to do homework is a chance for a student to catch up on missed classes and further reinforce the next day's lessons.

• Homework tells the teacher that a child is attentive and alert at class.

• Homework makes a child learn and memorise what he did on the day.

• Homework makes our mind sharp and firm.

Therefore, I appeal to all school-going children not to take homework as a burden rather take it as your first priority and then you'll notice a considerable change in your grades.

Shingruff Ishtiaq

Multan

Sa'ad returned from school in a bad mood because he had got a lot of homework to do. He started right after lunch. When he finished his work, he looked at his watch. He had promised his friends that he'd play hockey with them and now he found out that he couldn't go outside to have some fun. He got frustrated because doing all that homework had taken up his leisure time and he thought how dull the day had been.

Nowadays schools give a lot of homework which takes up our leisure time, resulting in a dull day. Many people have heard this common phrase, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This is true for every student in this world. There should be a balance between work and play in everyone's life. Schools should have a proper homework schedule and teachers should give only a certain amount of homework to the students everyday. A reasonable amount of homework should be given so that the students would be able to strengthen their minds in studies and later on they'd be able to have some fun too. Doing too much homework can cause stress and doing too little work would produce irresponsible learners. Believe me, creating a balance between work and play is the best solution to the homework problem.

Fahad Ansari

12 years, Islamabad

Homework can be defined as schoolwork that a student is expected to do at home under any circumstances. Indubitably, teachers do become inconsiderate when it comes to completing the course and load heavy piles of homework on the tender shoulders of school going children. It is true that homework is a sort of revision of what has been taught at school. But we also have to see that the so called 'revision' does not become a burden.

At times teachers assign too much work, children have to sacrifice their evenings in order to complete it. Evening is the only time of the day a student gets for his recreational activities and if even that is spent doing school work, then a child will develop a dry, boring and inactive nature. If a student is unable to complete his homework, the following day he receives such a scolding that he faces huge embarrassment. In either ways we can observe that homework is destructing a child's character and the student-teacher relation rather than helping.

Many people think that home work helps in scoring good grades in pop quizzes and surprise tests as during the monthly assessments, the students will not have to study much because everything has been revised in the form of homework. This is not true. Most of the children join tuition centres because the load of homework becomes a barrier for them in studying for tests.

Furthermore, students are not robots, nor shall they be treated like one. How can you expect a child to balance all spheres of his life with the heavy burden of homework? Studies are not the end of the world and there are a lot of other things a student has to do besides school work, like enjoyment which a child here rarely gets.

I would end my argument by saying that seven hours at school are seriously enough and there shall remain no need to bring school work to home.

Madiha Ahmed

Karachi

B y homework, we get to practise all lessons and exercises which we did during our school time. If we stop doing homework, during the exams it'll be harder because we won't have the practice which we get from doing homework. So, homework should not be abolished.

Even though doing homework is a tedious job for us, it should be given out for our own good. I mean, what will the

teachers gain by giving us homework? Nothing of course! They do it for our wellbeing — not for the purpose of applying a burden on us — but to help us so that we can practise the exercises and work through out the year.

As they say, 'Practice makes perfect!'

Amina Ahmed

13 years