CBSE wants to know if there are alternatives to homework

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is asking schools whether there can be an alternative to homework for upper primary level (std VI-VIII). Schools have been requested to fill up a detailed questionnaire, which the board hopes will give it some insight on homework from the viewpoint of schools.

Giving an insight to its thought process, the board wrote on its website that "home work is considered as an empowering instructional strategy by providing opportunities to students to consolidate and review their classroom learning, hone skills, develop thinking faculties through independent learning, interacting with parents, reflecting, summarizing and presenting information in relevant and meaningful contexts".

So, even while highlighting the basic purpose of homework, the board accepts that the view is not shared by all. CBSE added, "To this end many good schools have been giving creative, meaningful and interesting assignments to their students. But there are still many schools where this is viewed as a burdensome activity by teachers, and monotonous and time consuming activity by the students and parents. The CBSE, with a view to gain an insight into different issues related with the homework, has designed this questionnaire for school principals, teachers, students and their parents".

The questionnaire asks some basic questions like how is homework viewed by schools and how they deal with students who do not finish the task on time.

CBSE further wrote that "the Board expects the schools to publicize this questionnaire to the desired stakeholders so that appropriate strategies and activities can be designed and suggested to the schools for assigning meaningful, scientific and research-based homework at upper primary (classes VI-VIII) level".

The board is asking whether every student should be given the same homework or should it be customized to suit individual needs. Another question is whether homework should be given for each and every subject.

A schoolteacher said, "Frankly, homework really does not serve much purpose other than to keep these kids busy. The aim is to keep them occupied because an empty mind is a dangerous proposition. The other benefits, of course, are that the students get to revise what have been taught at school that day. These are time tested methodologies of teaching, and the fact they are still in use proves that they work. Under the name of modernizing we must not tweak things so much that they become irrelevant."