Sorsogon Representative Evelina Escudero and Quezon City

Representative Alfred Vargas filed their respective House Bills on the

establishment of a No-Homework Policy on August 7, 2019 and August 13,
2019, respectively. Rep. Escudero in House Bill No. 3611 which “seeks the
elimination of homework assignments and prohibiting the taking of textbooks
out of the school” to “not only lighten the physical burden of schoolchildren
and promote quality family interaction but will also compel schools and
teachers to come up with a more holistic and effective pedagogy” made the
following provisions:
Sec. 4. No-homework Assignment. – All basic education schools shall make
sure that their respective teachers shall not give homework assignments to
Kinder to Grade 12 students by conducting all lessons and activities in
school.
Sec. 5. No Taking of Textbooks Home. – All basic education schools shall
ensure that all Kinder to Grade 6 students shall deposit and leave their
textbooks in school and no textbooks shall be brought home to prevent any
adverse effects of carrying heavy bags to-and-from school.
Sec. 6. Lockers. – All basic education schools shall ensure that each school
shall have a locker or a dedicated space that will serve as safe depository
for students’ textbooks.

While, in Sec. 2 and Sec. 4 of House Bill No. 3883 authored by Rep.
Vargas:
Sec. 2. Policy – All Elementary and High Schools in the country shall not
allow teachers to give any homework or assignments to their students over
the weekend.
Sec. 4. Fines and Penalties. – Teachers who will violate this act shall be
penalized with fifty thousand pesos (P50,000) and/or shall be sentenced to
jail for one to two years.
 On August 27, 2019, Senator Poe filed Senate Bill No. 966 also
establishing a No-Homework policy which “aims to limit the homework given
to students from Kinder to Grade 12 during weekdays and prohibit the same
on weekends” provides in Sec. 4 of said bill:
Sec. 4. No Homework on Weekends. – All primary and secondary schools
in the country shall not allow teachers to give any homework or assignments
to students from Kinder to Grade 12 on weekends. Assigning homework to
students will only be allowed on weekdays; Provided, that such homework
shall be minimal and will not require more than four (4) hours to be
completed.

On CNN Philippines, DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones

expressed her support for the said bills saying that it would help learners
find balance between personal and academic growth. She also cited a
DepEd Memorandum Act No. 392 series of 2010, which also provided
for limits on assignments given to students on school days.

While Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), on Manila Bulletin,

“maintained that there was nothing wrong in giving students
homework.” They also believed that students benefit from the
homework that they were being assigned to do. Another issue TDC
addressed was the penalties provided in Rep. Vargas’ Bill. TDC and
other teachers’ groups strongly denounced it noting that “the provision
that seeks to impose a penalty of fine or imprisonment to teachers
requiring assignments during weekends was simply ‘unacceptable’
since teachers already suffer from ‘low pay, heavy workload and too
many regulations.’”
 TDC also mentioned that there was already a DepEd
Memorandum Act existing which is implementing the ban on weekend
homework. And to them it seems that this move of the lawmakers
“‘assume the tasks and functions’ of teachers and of the DepEd” and
warned that this “may curtail the teachers’ right to academic freedom.”
This for them is a matter that DepEd should decide on and not the
legislators.

Now, on the question of whether the No-Homework Policy

should be implemented even on law school, I stand for the negative.