Hong Kong’s great homework debate: how much is too much?
Experts warn that too much homework, especially at an early age, can adversely affect children’s mental and physiological health
It’s hardly breaking news that students everywhere are struggling with the amount of homework they are given. Hong Kong in particular is known to impose some of the heaviest expectations, and in 2022, the city’s education minister even felt it necessary to caution that homework should aid education rather than torment students.
Homework’s intended purpose is to allow for knowledge developed within school to grow further and be cemented.
“It is an essential element of a Malvernian education, allowing pupils to follow up on their studies in class, and also to prepare for future lessons,” explains Paul Wickes, headmaster at Malvern College Hong Kong. He sees the benefits not only in academic support, but also in relationship-building too. “In the lower years in particular, [homework] also strengthens the triangular relationship between pupils, school and parents, creating opportunities for parents to accompany their children’s educational journey and to support their learning.”
Wickes argues for a measured approach to homework, adding, “We state explicitly that homework should be given only if it is meaningful and necessary.” Expectations for pupils completing homework gradually increase with age, beginning in Prep 1 at 20 to 30 minutes of working collaboratively with parents or carers, and reaching up to two hours per subject each week in sixth form, he explains.
This measured approach avoids what he describes as a counterproductive result. “It [can] become monotonous and stressful, eroding pupils’ love of learning and damaging their mental health … reducing opportunities for personal growth,” he says.