A.

Summarize of counterclaim

DepEd support the "No homework policy". The proposed bills will help students 'find balance between
their academic development and personal growth' and spend time with their families, says the
education department. DepEd, in a statement released on Wednesday, August 28, said the measures
would “enable learners to have more quality time with their parents, family, and friends by limiting the
homework [and] assignment to a reasonable quantity on school days and by eliminating the same during
weekends.”

B. Provide supporting information for counterclaim

It said the policy would allow students to “find balance between their academic development and
personal growth by having ample time for enjoyable activities with family".House Deputy Speaker
Evelina Escudero and Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas filed separate bills in August. Escudero
filed House Bill (HB) No. 3611, which seeks to remove homework as a requirement and have Kinder to
Grade 12 students do academic activities solely within school premises.“Homework assignments can
deprive students and parents precious quality time for rest, relaxation, and interaction after schools
hours and even on weekend,” the bill’s explanatory note reads.The bill also seeks to prohibit students
from taking textbooks home in order to “lighten the physical burden of schoolchildren,” who, Escudero
said, often have to carry heavy bags due to schoolwork that has to be done beyond the school. This will
apply to Kinder to Grade 6 students. This is so that students can “enjoy their free time from the
precisions of school during weekends and to be able to have a quality time with their family and friends.”

C. Refute the counterclaims

According to Manila times " No homework policy" is no good. We do not agree with the position of the
Department of Education (DepEd) that a “no homework” policy, prohibiting teachers from assigning
academic work to be completed by students outside of regular school hours, is beneficial to Filipino
students.Education Secretary Leonor Briones recently engaged in a public pitch for the policy, which is
now the subject of a couple of pending bills in Congress. We have a great deal of respect for Secretary
Briones’ knowledge and experience as an educator, and her arguments in favor of the policy should be
given careful consideration. Doing just that, however, leads to the conclusion that a solution other than
what she and supportive legislators are proposing is in order.

D.Give evidence for argument

The arguments for a “no homework” policy ostensibly take into account the welfare of students, their
families and teachers. Excessive homework or to state the argument more accurately, any homework at
all is physically taxing on students, many of them very young, after they have already spent a full
strenuous day in the classroom. Projects that students are expected to complete at home often pose a
burdensome expense on parents, who may not have a ready budget for the last-minute purchase of
needed materials. Assigning homework also adds to the workload of teachers, who must grade these
assignments in addition to their everyday work of preparing lessons.By banning homework, all these
problems are avoided. Students are afforded proper time for rest and relaxation, and families are spared
the burden of unforeseen expenses, or time spent shopping for required materials that may be difficult
to find on short notice. Teachers are also spared the extra time and effort to check homework
assignments, and can devote more time to classroom preparation and work. Secretary Briones has also
suggested the policy would be beneficial in allowing more time for children and parents to bond
socially.Those are all very reasonable considerations. Unfortunately, they completely overlook the trade-
offs that may be more harmful in the long run by eroding the quality of education, and as a
consequence, the future competitiveness of young Filipinos.