CORAM, NY [CBS] — Even though he's just a fifth grader, 11-year-old Ben Berrafato is challenging - seriously challenging - one of this country's most enduring and widely held beliefs: The belief that kids need homework.
Fifth Grader Making Case Against Homework
CORAM, NY [CBS] — Even though he’s just a fifth grader, 11-year-old Ben Berrafato is challenging – seriously challenging – one of this country’s most enduring and widely held beliefs: The belief that kids need homework.
“Where has it been proven, in these many centuries of this work, that it has been good for anyone?” Ben said.
Ben’s crusade against homework began with a simple assignment, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports. For English class at New Lane Elementary in Selden, N.Y., Ben had to write about something he was passionate about – and since Ben hates homework he wrote about that. And he did so quite creatively.
Part of his essay reads: “Homework is assigned to students like me without our permission. Thus, homework is slavery. Slavery was abolished with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So every school in America has been illegally run for the past 143 years.”
On a whim, Ben sent a copy of his essay to the New York Daily News.
“And I got like this humongous section of the op-ed page,” he said.
It then circulated on the Internet, Ben started doing talk shows, and a monster was born.
“School should stay at school,” he said. “When it is brought home in a backpack, it causes problems.”
For teachers and school administrators, Ben’s whole argument borders on blasphemy. Certainly most would dismiss it as wishful propaganda – if not for the simple fact that the kid may be right.
“He’s really onto something here,” said Nancy Kalish, who co-authored a book called “The Case Against Homework.”
“As he pointed out, there is almost zero connection, correlation between homework and any type of achievement in elementary school,” Kalish said.
In researching his essay, Kalish says Ben really did his homework, so to speak, citing the very latest studies.
“Kids who do 60 to 90 minutes of homework in middle school and over two hours in high school actually do worse than average in standardized tests,” his essay read.
How far is Ben going to take it?
“As far as I can,” he said. “As far as possible.”
“I have a petition and I’m going to try and get a law abolishing homework,” he said.
Ben plans to send the signatures to Congress.
He says just about everybody’s been supportive. Except … his principal.
“You know, a famous historian once said, ‘I may not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death you’re right to say it,’” the principal said. “You know who that was? I believe it was Patrick Henry. I could be wrong. I learned that a long time ago in homework and I’ve forgotten it.”
Ben says she just proved his point right there.
“If you’re going to do homework then forget what it is, then why even do it?” Ben asked.
Of course, now he’s probably got homework and detention.
“It’s an interesting thought,” the principal said.
Not that it would deter him anyway. To paraphrase what Patrick Henry actually said: Give me liberty from homework or give him … extra credit, at least.
Are you serious?
This is absolutely ridiculous and I can’t believe this kid is actually getting national attention. While teachers must practice discretion while giving homework-not an unmanageable amount, relevant to subject matter, etc.-it is an important part of the educational process. How else will kids reinforce their studies? Learning the information once in class or watching the teacher do math problems is not enough to understand the material well. Also, certain assignments help kids think independently and critically and even be creative. That’s a lot better than what would happen if they just went home to watch TV for hours or surf the mind-numbing internet.
I hate homework
G-d Bless this child. I sure hope he wins. And no, I am not a kid, I am a mature woman who is made miserable on a nightly basis by the amount of homework my kids come home with. I seriously don’t know who the school’s think they are punishing, the kids or the parents.
My prayers are with him!
history
Voltaire actually said that.
Home Preparation
In this past summer course given to the Rabbeim of Oholei Torah, Rabbi Binyomin Ginsburg made the same point “If the child knows it in school, he won’t know it any better at home. And if he doesn’t know it at school, he won’t know it at home either.” He therefore said there is no point to homework and it’s actually more work for the poor/tired parents than the kids! (for those parents who do HW with their children). Homework he said should be renamed to ‘Home Preparation’. It should be a short simple question for the child to do research on, in order to prepare for the coming day’s lesson and NOT a review! This will get the kids to be more excited and enthusiastic about the next days lesson, when they have to look something up.
teacher
i personally am a teacher – if u teach the matirial well enouph, then why give a huge amt, maybe one review sheet???
laughing my head off
Man, when I was a fifth grader I didnt think there should be homework either. Or classes for that matter either, because, and I quote “you’re going to do…then forget what it is, then why even do it?”
And can I say, it is a really sad day when we let fifth graders make decisions regarding educational institutions.
And to the mom who is made miserable, I feel sorry for you, truly, but some things you just gotta do anyway and if you’re feeling overwhelmed well… would you want them to outlaw grocery shopping, because that could be overwhelming, too. And hey, my 4th grade sister hates brushing her teeth. She hasn’t grown here real teeth yet and she finds it unnecessary and way inconvenient…
Spellcheck
To the teacher:
I don’t mean this as a personal offense, but if you’re a teacher educating our children, doesn’t that mean you should know how to spell correctly? Even if our children are not getting a secular education, at the very least, they can learn proper spelling and grammar from their teachers. If the teachers can’t even spell, what are the children learning?
ddhthtrht
homework sucks
Adding a comment to Home Preparation
The home preparation letter that is written is very true and I believe in it! Sometimes reviews could be good, but its still true that the kids don’t like to do and are not into it.
Adding a comment to Are You Serious
Its true what you said, but teachers cant give overloads of it to make the child overwhelmed and maybe even stressed if the subject is hard for him\her.
too cool for school but turned out fine!
i have been rejected from very good schools for one reason only….i never do my homework! homework is pointless and has nothing to do with actuall work done in class. are kids really going to forget what they learned over one night?? seriousely!! maybe if there is break for pesach or sukoss etc so give them a few assignments then. not every day though!!
I HATE H.W.!
I HATE HOMEWORK!
Yosef
The principal was quoting Voltaire.
=-=-
you tell em boy
thanks kid
i agree with this kid im a 10th grader who comes home with so much home work. i have 2 study halls and i still have at least 4hrs worth of homework. i do better whe n i dont study than when i do. if the teacher can teach his/her class well enough what is the reason for homework? if you wanna do homework on your own time go ahead . it would also make the teahers life easier so that when he/she goes home they dont have to correct every thing and can spend more time with there kids than trying to correct his/her students homework!!
anonymous
to teacher-
No offense intended but… oy! Spelling?!
i think skoools have gone wild!
yes i say dont give any home work but if you want 2 give give a q to look up nothing major i think the teachers just want 2 feel goood about them selvs that they can stand up there in front of classrooom and 4got that we r ppl even though they say they care for us
im with this kid all the way and ill do anything to make this kids law thing passed im in all the way i had enough the schoools these days have just gone wild!
yes our parents went thru school just like us and they know how it feels but no the air out there changed it aint the same the kids these days r diff there gotta be some kinda change!!!!!!!!
DM Teacher
Reg. the quote: If the child knows it in school, he won’t know it any better at home. And if he doesn’t know it at school, he won’t know it at home either.”
I assume it was made in a certain context that he wouldn’t apply across the board. As a blanket statement that theory seems to be a bit flawed. I’m sure you’re familiar with the term Chazara, and that our Torah promotes reviewing one’s studies many times over. (101 is an Oivad as opposed to 100 times). While I’m not an advocate of 2 hours of written H.W. a night, as a teacher, I can tell you that 20-30 minutes of review with a parent and an occasional question sheet to gauge whether or not the student knows the material makes a tremendous difference the next day!
It’s also important to make the distinction b/w secular studies and Lemudei Kodesh (for those schools that offer both.) With the former, the H.W is simply a means to an end–you get the work done and memorize the facts to get a good mark. Hopefully, the student can later apply the info towards a positive goal, whether in Shlichus or used toward a trade.
With Lemudei Kodesh, it needs to be stressed that the learning itself, regardless of the final grade or amount covered is in itself the Aibeshter’s Torah and therefore holy and precious, and not just learned to cover information. With this in mind, a reasonable amount (not too much so they shouldn’t resent it ) of learning Torah is important after school as well.
high schooler
omg i seriously hope this goes really far…that could be amazing.
Way too much homework
Bs”d
My child gets way too much homework…and she is so young….
T S
Homework should be optional and is used as a crutch for inefficient or shoddy schooling.
(If the poster “teacher” really is one, his/her spelling is telling)
Agree
I actually agree with him. As adults, we work 9-5 jobs and come home completely exhausted with very little mental energy left. How can we demand hours of homework from young children when we ourseleves would not be able to compete with such a rigorous mental schedule.
homework is dumb
there was a study a few years ago proving homework to be a waste of time. lets hope this kid succeeds.
I-m Intrigued
For a 5th grader he certainly has an impressive view. It’s quite admirable. I myself am a high school student and I dislike having to do homework. Let the tests show my work. It’s not that I can’t do the homework, it’s just that I can do it too easily to the point of where it’s utterly boring and a waste of time. I’m rooting for you kid!
g-d-s right hand man
you should know king solomon wrote
bad parents children are unruly
good parents give counseling and guidance
if mr. BB doesn’t want to do school work at home
he can stay in his room his parents provided to him and work on stoopid questions for passover exodus from a selfmade exile that he won’t recognize by himself
children are spoiled to much because of their parents errors
mendy
maybe we should take a way school altoghether
IT’S ILLIGAL NOT TO STUDIE ENGLISH(slavery huh?)
(wasn’t salvery abolisher)
GROW UP!
7th GRADE BEIS RIVKA GIRL
omg come on we dont need homework why do we need it? hu hu hu why tell me it doesnt help anyone anyways!!!! :)
Sara
hw is only fun for the teachers to give out but thats about all.you know thank g-d i know how to spell but thats about it i know how to do. homework is just stressful and pointless for that matter because it gets you no where and i mean this seriously. i should not be growing “WHITE HAIR” at age 12 its totally insane. all the homework does is gives the parents a BIG hole in the head. the only reason is because the teachers dont teach so the students dont even know what to do.the parents have to figure out what to do.
Ben im with you so i’ll stop growing white hair good luck!!!!!!! and now i mean it!!!!!!!!
private
oholei torah doesnt teach english so why argue about homework
7th grader that thinks ben is right
parents pay tuition for the kid to learn IN school if it wasn`t then just buy a workbook at least that my view of it
STUDENT
IM NOT SAYING THIS JUST FOR MY BENEFIT BUT COME ON!
DO WE REALLY NEED HOMEWORK?
ITS JUST A WASTE OF TIME AND IF WE LEARN IN CLASS WE SHOUDL KNOW THE WORK!
HW SHOULD BE A PUNISHMENT FOR KIDS THAT ARE NOT PARTICIPATING!
THAT WILL HELP THEM LEARN THE WORK THAT THEY DIDNT LEARN IN CLASS CUZ THEY WERENT LISTENING.
P.S. THE PPL THAT SAID THE TEACHER DIDNT KNOW HOW TO SPELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. ITS CALLED: TYPING FAST AND DOT NOTICE WHAT YOUR DOING!
I BET SHE KNOWS HOW TO SPELL BETTER THEN A LOT OF US!
AFTER ALL, SHE WAS ACCEPTED AS A TEACHER. AND SHE SUCCEEDS IN TEACHING (I GUESS)
Spellcheck 2
i agree with SPELLCHECK! what kind of a teacher are you to post shorthand on a public website?! and I’m not even out of high school! i sure hope YOU don’t give homework!
Student
In my opinion, if a teacher teaches the material well enough, then why give homework? A student should come home feeling that he/she knows the material very well, instead of coming home and complaining about how mush hw he/she has. one last thing, it’s not only the homework, it’s the tests too!
amused
there is a difference between doing homework and studying. aside from that, to whoever quoted rabbi ginsberg’s homework comment, just know, jst bc someone tells u to do smthng dznt mean they do it themselves…….. ask his students or actually ask their parents
a NORMAL student
ITS TRUE ITS NONE OF UR BUSINESS HOW THAT TEACHER SPELLS AND I HOPE NOONE GIVES HMWK BUT ITS TRUE, THERES SOME HOMEWORK THAT’S A REVIEW SHEET THAT U HAVE 2 DO ONCE IN A WHILE BUT SOME TEACHERS THINK THEIR THE ONLY ONES AND GIVE US ENDLESS AMOUNTS AND MAKE US REVIEW LARGE PARTS TO REVIEW EVERY NIGHT AND YOU JUST GET STRESSED AND DON’T EVEN CARE BUT IF KIDZ RLY NEED HELP THEN THEY SHOULD ASK THEIR PARENTS OR S/TH AND THE TEACHER SHOULDN’T GIVE OBLIGATORY HMWK TO EVERYONE AND IF 1 QUESTION IS MISSING YOU LOOS TONZ OF PTS. AND BTW I ONCE WORKED SOOO HARD ON A RLY HARD MATH HOMEWORK AND I ONLY DID HALF OF 1 OF THE QUESTIONS AND MY TEACHER SCREAMED @ ME THAT IT’S INCOMPLETE AND WE HAVE SO MUCH SUBJECTS IT’S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE ANOTHER TIME W/ THE SAME TEACHER I JUST COPIED THE ANSWERS AND MADE UP THE REST AND THE TEACHER DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE SO THAT SHOWS!
Yobys
Okay, first of all I am a student and I know exactly how it is to do homework for hours long. I can completely comprehend Ben’s and other kids’ frustration. However, Ben compared slavery to homework, which is not appropriate at all. The country of the United States was built on the backs and sweat of African Americans! Homework no matter how disgusting may be for someone is a way to help students to learn RESPONSABILITY and TIME MANAGEMENT. Homework or any other issues should never be compared to slavery or to the 13 amend. It’s sad that people had taken this so seriously instead of given some RESPECT to those human beings who truly were slaves here in the U.S.