Should schools assign homework over the summer?

The carefree days of summer are almost here! Or are they? Many schools assign homework to students during the summer months.

Peer Larson, a 17-year-old student from Hales Corner, Wisconsin, says that "there shouldn't be any work when someone is on vacation. It should be my time to pursue whatever I like without having the school following me."

Earlier this year, Peer and his father, Bruce, filed a lawsuit against their local school district. Why? Last summer, when Peer worked as a camp counselor, he had trouble finding time to complete three required math projects. "These students are still children," said Bruce Larson, "yet they are subjected to increasing pressure to perform."

A judge dismissed the lawsuit in March, but the Larsons may appeal. Meanwhile, the debate over summer homework continues to heat up.

Many people argue that reviewing skills over vacation helps kids retain (hold on to) information and prepare for the challenges of the upcoming school year.

What do you think?

Should schools assign homework over the summer?

YES

Studies have found that the three-month summer break is long enough for kids to forget much of what they learned during the previous nine months. Summer homework helps keep kids' skills sharp.

Dr. Blane McCann, the superintendent of Shorewood School District in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has said that summer assignments are "appropriate as [students] prepare for the school year."

Anastasia Hansen, 13, agrees. "Reviewing cannot hurt anyone," said the seventh-grader from St. Cecilia School in Houston, Texas. "It prepares you for the year to come." Besides, she added, "we have three months to do it. How bad could it possibly be?"

NO

As long as kids complete their assignments during the school year, summer break should be a real break. Kids need to be free to pursue other interests. "Life isn't always about a test," said Sheryl Preiss, mother of twin 13-year-old girls in Baltimore, Maryland. "I think it is important for children to be children."

Inshan Alli, 13, is an eighth-grader at the Andrew Jackson School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "I don't think that kids should have to do homework over vacation," he told JS. "Summer is for kids to have time off, relax, play, and spend time with family."

Kids attend school 180 days out of the year. The rest of the time, they should not have obligatory [required] schoolwork hanging over their heads.

[check] VOTE NOW! Homework over the summer? Vote online at www.scholastic.com/juniorscholastic.