Briones frowns on homework, says there are other ways to learn
Published Nov 20, 2019 00:00 am
|
Updated Nov 20, 2019 00:00 am
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Education Secretary Leonor Briones reiterated her stand against giving homework -- stressing that there are “other other ways” by which students can learn.
Briones, in a recent press conference, cited her personal views on giving students homework. “Based on my experience, much of what I have learned in life did not come from doing homework,” she said. “Much that I have learned in life - not just in school - did not come from homework,” she added.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones
(DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) When she was a student, Briones shared that her teachers would not give any homework and “we managed anyway” and learned many things outside the homework. “I went through life without very much homework - whatever I learned, I learned on my own,” she said. “If you are interested in learning, you will study on your own, it does not have to be required and there are children who study with or without homework,” she stressed. The current policy of the Department of Education (DepEd) cites that there should be no homework on weekends. With its issuance of the “Guidelines on Giving Homework or Assignment to All Public Elementary School Pupils,” otherwise known as DepEd Memorandum No. 392, series 2010, DepEd reiterates its commitment to the “holistic development of learners inside and outside the classroom.” This issuance aims to enable learners to have “more quality time with their parents, family, and friends by limiting the homework/assignment to a reasonable quantity on school days and by eliminating the same during weekends.” DepEd’s ‘official’ position Meanwhile, Briones clarified that her personal stand on homework does not necessarily reflect that of the entire Education Department. “I have to clarify that there’s a difference between my position on homework and that of DepEd,” Briones said. “DepEd has not formulated its position on homework because we are still conversing about it,” she added. Briones noted that there are “some different” perspectives when it comes to homework. “Some are saying no homework on weekdays, only on weekends while others say no homework on other subjects except to those that are deemed difficult or challenging,” she explained. “There are those who believe that maybe homework can only be imposed for particular subjects - the so-called subjects but definitely, there’s no homework on weekends - that is already an existing policy because so the learner can bond with his or her parents,” Briones said. Meanwhile, DepEd OIC-Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Josephine Maribojoc said the key to requiring homework is regulation. “As to where we will draw the line in terms of regulation - that’s something that what we’re trying to figure out,” she explained. DepEd, Maribojoc said, is still in the studying how set the parameters in giving homework but “but how precisely to do that is the equation that we’re still trying to find.” The ‘culture’ of homework in the PH Meanwhile, Briones cited the ‘culture of homework’ in the Philippines as among the reasons why she is against the practice. “The parents have a major role in homework and sometimes, they even do the homework themselves because there’s little time and they’re rambling but then, the child gets poor grades because the parents or whoever did the homework were taught differently,” Briones explained. Briones also cited the “little industry” that involves doing homework. “There are schools which have training programs for yaya to help out their wards in doing their homework and students get tutors and even teachers help the students of other teachers - so, we ask ourselves, what is really the effectiveness of homework?” she said. Homework, Briones said, “can only be as good if the student is the one who does it” because the things that are done outside the school, “you have no guarantee that it was done by the student him or herself.” While recognizing that are “pros and cons” to the practice of doing homework, Briones stressed that learning should always be the end goal. “We’re still studying this because the way homework is done in other countries is different from the way homework is done in our country - here, it can be done by the mother, the ‘lola’, the yaya or by a teacher,” she said. “The purpose of the homework is to make the child learn but who is the one learning - does the child truly and really learn?” she asked. Briones said that while she believes in democracy and listening to everyone, “I also believe that our experience in homework is not a carbon copy of how homework is done in other countries because there is a culture attached to homework.” In the meantime, Briones said the decision on homework is up to the teachers “because there are those who assign homework and who do not.”
Education Secretary Leonor Briones(DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) When she was a student, Briones shared that her teachers would not give any homework and “we managed anyway” and learned many things outside the homework. “I went through life without very much homework - whatever I learned, I learned on my own,” she said. “If you are interested in learning, you will study on your own, it does not have to be required and there are children who study with or without homework,” she stressed. The current policy of the Department of Education (DepEd) cites that there should be no homework on weekends. With its issuance of the “Guidelines on Giving Homework or Assignment to All Public Elementary School Pupils,” otherwise known as DepEd Memorandum No. 392, series 2010, DepEd reiterates its commitment to the “holistic development of learners inside and outside the classroom.” This issuance aims to enable learners to have “more quality time with their parents, family, and friends by limiting the homework/assignment to a reasonable quantity on school days and by eliminating the same during weekends.” DepEd’s ‘official’ position Meanwhile, Briones clarified that her personal stand on homework does not necessarily reflect that of the entire Education Department. “I have to clarify that there’s a difference between my position on homework and that of DepEd,” Briones said. “DepEd has not formulated its position on homework because we are still conversing about it,” she added. Briones noted that there are “some different” perspectives when it comes to homework. “Some are saying no homework on weekdays, only on weekends while others say no homework on other subjects except to those that are deemed difficult or challenging,” she explained. “There are those who believe that maybe homework can only be imposed for particular subjects - the so-called subjects but definitely, there’s no homework on weekends - that is already an existing policy because so the learner can bond with his or her parents,” Briones said. Meanwhile, DepEd OIC-Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Josephine Maribojoc said the key to requiring homework is regulation. “As to where we will draw the line in terms of regulation - that’s something that what we’re trying to figure out,” she explained. DepEd, Maribojoc said, is still in the studying how set the parameters in giving homework but “but how precisely to do that is the equation that we’re still trying to find.” The ‘culture’ of homework in the PH Meanwhile, Briones cited the ‘culture of homework’ in the Philippines as among the reasons why she is against the practice. “The parents have a major role in homework and sometimes, they even do the homework themselves because there’s little time and they’re rambling but then, the child gets poor grades because the parents or whoever did the homework were taught differently,” Briones explained. Briones also cited the “little industry” that involves doing homework. “There are schools which have training programs for yaya to help out their wards in doing their homework and students get tutors and even teachers help the students of other teachers - so, we ask ourselves, what is really the effectiveness of homework?” she said. Homework, Briones said, “can only be as good if the student is the one who does it” because the things that are done outside the school, “you have no guarantee that it was done by the student him or herself.” While recognizing that are “pros and cons” to the practice of doing homework, Briones stressed that learning should always be the end goal. “We’re still studying this because the way homework is done in other countries is different from the way homework is done in our country - here, it can be done by the mother, the ‘lola’, the yaya or by a teacher,” she said. “The purpose of the homework is to make the child learn but who is the one learning - does the child truly and really learn?” she asked. Briones said that while she believes in democracy and listening to everyone, “I also believe that our experience in homework is not a carbon copy of how homework is done in other countries because there is a culture attached to homework.” In the meantime, Briones said the decision on homework is up to the teachers “because there are those who assign homework and who do not.”