Is the Ministry of National Education backing down from revolutionary change? "Without it, many students are simply lost."

As the Łódź Gazeta Wyborcza emphasizes, the vast majority of teachers would welcome the return of mandatory homework. "Finally. Clear rules will return, along with a sense that we have influence over whether students actually learn outside of school. Until now, it's been a farce. Students' skills are plummeting," Ewa emphasized.

Housework was supposed to disappear. What's next with the Ministry of National Education reform?

As of April 2024, teachers in grades 1-3 have virtually stopped assigning homework (with minor exceptions). In grades 4-8, it is no longer mandatory and is not assessed. The reform was intended to give children more free time while freeing parents from monitoring homework. This revolutionary change was accompanied by evaluation. However, the teaching community has argued almost from the outset that the reform was not working.

Over time, it turned out that 74% of teachers wanted to return to mandatory homework (a survey by "Głos Nauczycielski"). Mathematicians were particularly in favor of this, pointing out the need for systematicity and repetition in their field. They said that practicing at home builds resistance to errors.

"Students who previously needed encouragement, reminders, and structure are now left on the sidelines. They lack the motivation to pick up a textbook when no one is checking. As a result, some students progress, while others drift," emphasized one teacher.

"Homework isn't just about reviewing material. It's a form of independent thinking and learning how to organize your time. Without it, many students simply get lost," added another.

Return to the old rules of homework? AI "does" it for the kids anyway.

Education expert and president of the School Without Grades Foundation, Jarosław Durszewicz, emphasized, however, that "we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater." "We're not saying there shouldn't be homework, or at least not to make students catch up, because such arguments are often used by teachers who can't keep up with the basics," he said.

Durszewicz pointed out that children spent too much time on homework, which they often downloaded from the internet, often with the help of artificial intelligence. However, parents emphasized that their children didn't use their free time wisely. Instead of pursuing their passions and sports, they spent it on their phones.

"It's not that I miss the old system, but it could be modified somehow. Because when I ask her if she has anything to do for school, she says no, because it's optional. And I'm running out of arguments," one parent told "Gazeta Wyborcza." The Ministry of National Education, which after two years has already backed down from many highly anticipated changes, is currently considering the consequences of eliminating homework. It has announced another round of surveys among parents and teachers for September.

Deputy Minister Katarzyna Lubnauer announced that her ministry wants to compare the results of eighth-grade exams in schools with homework and those that do not assign it, starting in April 2024. "If it turns out that the change requires correction, such correction will be made," emphasized Barbara Nowacka.

The phaseout of optional homework would take place in September 2026, "or sooner." However, it's not expected to happen at the beginning of this school year. In September 2025, homework will still remain an option in many schools, not a requirement.

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