As summer ends, school begins. And with school comes homework. This widely unpopular past time has its own soundtrack; the groans and the flipping of pages can be heard throughout any student’s house.

But some schools, such as Hingham High School, do have a couple weekends every year designed to give students a break. Usually schools will have around three “no homework weekends” a year, typically coinciding with holidays or big events. But should we keep these weekends?

Some say no. An article written by Learning Litoff says that no homework weekends have their downsides. The article reads, “Teachers are still tasked with finishing their lesson plans, and homework is often an important part of that. For students who are working on projects with pending due dates, not working on those projects for an entire weekend may not be feasible.”

Ms. Smith, an English teacher at Hingham High School, said, “I think no-homework weekends are a good idea for helping student stress levels and allowing everyone a chance to catch their breath and regain their balance. I also think no-homework weekends may work better in theory than they do in practice. I think a lot of students and teachers end up in a scramble to get projects set up or completed before and after a no-homework weekend because we still have requirements, standards, expectations, and deadlines to meet. I think the number of designated homework-free weekends is not as important as being sure we’re assigning homework because it serves a clear purpose for our classes, as opposed to assigning homework just because it’s a habit or something we think we’re supposed to do.”

Another point of view comes from Hingham High junior Harriet Wiley. Wiley shared, “I feel that no homework weekends are beneficial for students. They give us a chance to take a break from all the pressure of school, and have some fun! I’ve found that as I have gotten older, the time I have for myself and my friends has become more and more limited as schoolwork had piled up. I take what reprieve I can get- and no homework weekends are a blessing in that regard!”

Some people think these homework-less weekends are a necessity. Some believe that homework is the only way for students to learn, and these weekends are hurting these students’ chances of success. So what does this mean? What is for sure is that the whole debate about no homework weekends has been ongoing and will probably continue to be in the future.