Are your kids doing too much homework? There are 2 teenaged trustees at the Toronto District School Board who think so. As a matter of fact they are so adamant that they have asked their elder peers to consider officially banning homework for students on weekends, Christmas holidays, and on March break. Doesn’t this sound a little like the inmates trying to run the asylum?

Homework guidelines are already in place at the Toronto District School Board allowing 10 minutes of homework per night per grade. In grade 1 homework assignments must not exceed 10 minutes, in grade 2, the limit is 20 minutes, and so on. The board is now trying to implement a regulation that would not permit teachers to hand out any major assignments 4 days or less prior to an exam so as not to place undue stress on the students. Also under consideration is banning tests on Mondays, which apparently is also too stressful for students.

This issue has created a great deal of heated discussion on both sides. Many feel that kids should be kids and have lots of play time and less homework. Others feel that school is a training ground for life and that we shouldn’t be coddling the kids as much as we do. Where do you stand on the issue?