This project is being considered in the United States to reduce homework, which is regularly criticized for its quantity.
Homework is often not appreciated by students, but also by parents. If some believe that they contribute to academic success, time must be devoted to it. Working from home can also be a source of stress. Quantity is often at the heart of reprimands. It is also necessary to take into account that not every child or student can do their homework in the same conditions.
In a study for Challenge Successconducted among 15,000 Californian high school students in 2020, 45% of respondents estimated that homework was a great source of stress and more than half considered that most tasks to be done at home are “useless”. The study also raises physical consequences linked to homework overload, such as lack of sleep.
As a result of all these factors, “The Healthy Homework Act” was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom at the end of 2024 in the state of California in the United States. The bill was approved with the goal of reducing student stress and promoting learning, well-being and equity. Pilar Schiavo, the MP behind the bill, added, to justify such a proposal, that parents were also affected: “You can see the stress on their faces when they talk about the fact that they cannot spend time with their children in the evening because of the amount of homework and extracurricular activities,” reports The Times.
Concretely, what will be put in place? The legislation will not completely ban homework, but will encourage schools to review their policy on the subject for all levels, in particular by reducing the amount of work at home. The goal is to “promote evidence-based homework practices to support student learning and well-being, and ensure consistency and clarity in the assignment of homework,” the bill said.
Establishments are asked to carefully consider the resources available to students to do their homework, in particular parental support and access to technologies which differ depending on the home. The California Department of Education must then publish the guidelines by January 1, 2026, in order to allow application for the 2027-2028 school year.