OC HIGH: STUDENT NEWS AND VIEWS : OC High asks: Do you think homework should be abolished?

“Yes. It is pointless and time-consuming. If teachers only gave a minimal amount, it wouldn’t be so bad, but they believe that all you should do is homework.”

Priya Khanijou, 15, sophomore, Irvine

“Yes--I have better things to do.”

Jennifer Shaver, 14, freshman, Newport Harbor

“Yes. Your grades should be based on tests and not a lot of busy work that teachers give to fill class time.”

Scott Westra, 17, senior, Trabuco Hills

“Homework does not reflect a student’s ability to recall information or solve problems. It merely illustrates a student’s ability to answer a question with the aid of a textbook and countless friends and tutors.”

Edward Wynder, 17, senior, Cypress

“I think we should have homework, but it defeats the purpose when nobody does it.”

Rachel Mendoza, 15, sophomore, Loara

“Homework should be abolished for those people that have to work to support or help their family.”

Juan Salinas, 17, senior, Santiago

“Homework helps students recap the day’s lessons. It is another responsibility we should be able to take as a challenge. Of course, it is ridiculous to have four or more hours of work at home. It should be modified, not abolished.”

Ngoc Tran, 16, sophomore, Santa Ana Valley

“Yes. Most people learn most of the information in class. It might still be necessary to study at home, but the stressful busy-work assignments would no longer hassle students.”

Aaron Stopnitzky, 16, junior, Capistrano Valley

“Yes. If the school gave less and students were forced to complete work, they would learn more. Teachers should assign work which could reasonably be completed in one night.”

Chris Stankevitz, 16, junior, Los Amigos

“Yes. Major waste of time.”

Tan Tran, 16, junior, Westminster

“It’s not politically correct.”

Jim Chen, 17, senior, Valencia

“Homework that has no point should disappear. That kind of work is basically a teacher’s excuse not to prepare a worthwhile lesson plan.”

Haig Magnoogian, 17, senior, Laguna Beach

“No and yes. No, because it helps you learn. Yes, because it’s so boring.”

Amy Matias, 15, sophomore, Troy

“No, because classes would have to be longer or the teachers would have to cover more in class. As a result, teachers would have to go really fast and students might not understand what is going on.”

Trisha Gordon, 15, sophomore, Villa Park

“We spend enough time at school doing work. Why do we need to take it home?”

Sara Llanes, 14, freshman, Sonora

“Yes, because some students have a more positive environment in which to do their homework, so that gives them an unfair advantage, which in turn will result in a better grade.”

Todd Steaffens, 17, junior, Saddleback

“Homework teaches you to budget your time and plan ahead, so you’ll be prepared for the real world.”

Stephanie Ikeda, 14, freshman, Huntington Beach

“I spend seven hours at school taking notes and doing classwork. Then I come home to have three hours of homework. It’s not fair. What if I have sports or if I have chores to do?”

Clinton Williams, 15, freshman, Mission Viejo

“Yes, it takes up too much time and most teachers don’t even collect it . . . but at the same time, how else are we going to learn?”

Christina Fang, 16, junior, Brea Olinda

“No, because there’s not enough time in school to get everything done.”

Cliff Braun, 17, senior, Irvine

“Yes, because then you have more time to do important stuff, like shopping!”

Uyen Nguyen, 15, sophomore, Fountain Valley

“No, because it reinforces what you learn in class.”

Roger Ripley, 16, junior, Newport Harbor

“Yes, you do it so quickly that you don’t learn anything anyway.”

Dina Kampmeyer, 16, junior, Trabuco Hills

“No, because then you wouldn’t have the practice for upcoming tests.”

Guy Holman, 17, junior, Loara

“I think teachers should realize that we have other classes and give us less homework for each class.”

Martha Brito, 16, sophomore, Santa Ana Valley

“We shouldn’t have to do homework because we learn at school.”

Jennifer Rodgers, 15, freshman, Capistrano Valley

“Although homework is essential to learn and practice what you’re learning, less homework should be given.”

Diane Dao, 15, sophomore, Los Amigos

“Yes. Not many students learn much from homework; they learn more by taking notes in class.”

Peter Pederson, 15, sophomore, Westminster

“No, because then my grades would be based on my bad test scores.”

Linda Kwon, 16, senior, Valencia

“I think it should be abolished. Homework is helpful for getting good grades and studying for tests and quizzes, but it is not major. In most of my classes, all important grades are tests and projects, and many times my homework is returned with only a check. Many people will say that if homework is abolished, it would hurt education and everyone would learn very little. But we learn because we want to learn, not because people make us. Also, homework is very often copied, and nothing is learned.”

Jason Park, 15, sophomore, Villa Park

“No, because then I would have no reason to tell my parents that I can’t do the dishes because I have homework.”

Holly Medearis, 14, freshman, Sonora

“No, because what would be the purpose of going to school? You’d forget everything you learned that day.”

Megan Carranza, 17, senior, Saddleback

“No, because people would stop trying and flunk their classes.”

Nathan Cameron, 14, freshman, Huntington Beach

“Homework is something that keeps kids at home and out of trouble. It is something that can help teach responsibility and, at the same time, it can help prepare (them) for college.”

Peter Briggs, 17, senior, Mission Viejo

“No, because our learning ability would be lower, and teachers wouldn’t have any type of revenge.”

Michelle Valadez, 15, sophomore, Troy

* Responses gathered by Robert Wenzel, Irvine; Tricia Michels, Fountain Valley; Katrina Tangen, Newport Harbor; Samantha Wood, Trabuco Hills; Roxeanne McGraw, Cypress; Eve Winnick, Loara; Jorge Gutierrez, Santa Ana Valley; Joslin Gemsch, Capistrano Valley; Leeza Duong, Santiago; Linda Dao, Los Amigos; Koreen Kalie, Westminster; Ling Lu, Valencia; Jennifer Tobkin, Villa Park; Michelle Tran, Saddleback; Corey Griffin, Troy; Amy Woo, Huntington Beach; Dan Nieto, Mission Viejo; Amy Chen, Brea Olinda; Craig Hammill, Laguna Beach.