subject: Philippines' Department of Education Weekend Getaway [print this page] On deciding whether to commend or disagree with DepEd's No Homework on Weekends Policy, one should get in the mind of a public school student.
Spending quality time with the family
can be done in any day in any way.
The average student would be overjoyed by the freedom that he is given during homework-free weekends. He could do all that he wants to do because he's not complied to do anything by the school. During Friday nights, he could go out with his friends and have some fun. It's friday after all; aside from there's no school tomorrow, there's no homework! Saturdays would be spent in front of the telly, eating, sleeping, gaming, etc. Sundays...well, go to church perhaps.
I know this sounds not the ideal weekend getaway, but DepEd is dealing with the average public school student. I may be doing a faulty generalization and sterotyping here, but get real! How many adolescents actually spend quality time with their parents given that they have the weekend off. How many of them actually have their parents with them, not in a distant country spending time with their employers' children? A memorandum cannot tell a family to spend quality time together. Spending quality time with the family can be done in any day in any way.
Still, I do agree with the policy. Why? I think that giving the weekends homework free is a chance for students to try their own interests and hone their individual skills (that may not be addressed by the School). By this, they may realize how much fun learning could be. This way, their characters are also shaped. By allowing them to learn different things, they discover themselves more. But what are the chances that students would actually opt to do something productive during their free time?
This idea is only possible when students realize the value of learning. And teachers have a great responsibility in this (that's why they're called teachers; they teach), along with the family. Isn't it quality time when parents actually help their children in learning just about any thing and in discovering what they like?
The matter to be solved here is the concept of a quality weekend.
Philippines' Department of Education Weekend Getaway
