By: Natalie Barnes
Winter break is supposed to be a chance to breathe. After months of assignments, quizzes, practices, and late nights, the time off feels like the only real pause in an otherwise nonstop school year. For some students, though, a break does not really feel like a break when homework is still waiting for them.
The debate over schools assigning work during holiday breaks is not new, but it is getting more attention as student mental health becomes a bigger national concern. A 2023 survey by the Education Week Research Center reported that schoolwork and homework are among the top sources of stress for high school students in the United States, ranking even above friendships
and extracurriculars. With numbers like that, it is fair to ask if homework assigned over winter break is actually helping students, or if it might be doing more harm than good.
There is also research that challenges the idea that more homework always leads to better learning. A study published through Loyola Marymount University showed that when teachers cut homework loads in half, students reported lower stress and better well-being without any drop in academic performance. This suggests that students can still keep up academically with
less homework and may even return to school more focused when they have had real time to rest.
Not every student is completely against the idea of holiday homework, though. Senior Stefan Robinson says that even though it is annoying, it can sometimes pay off. “Homework over break isn’t fun, but it helps me stay on pace in harder classes,” Robinson said.
Many teachers are also thinking more carefully about how much work students should take home. AP Psychology teacher Mr. Beasley chooses not to assign homework over winter break and believes that the time off matters just as much as class time. He added that academics are not the only part of life students should be focused on.
“Kids need downtime. They need to play. They need to be teenagers,” Mr. Beasley said. “I do not know whether we allow for that.”
Some people think small review sheets or optional enrichment packets could be a fair middle ground. Others believe holiday homework should disappear completely and that the break should be reserved for rest, travel, family, and traditions that only happen once a year. No matter the opinion, there seems to be growing agreement that rest is not laziness. It’s part of staying healthy
enough to learn.
Winter break is short, and for many students it is filled with holiday dinners, family visits, long car rides, and late nights with friends they do not see as often during the school year. Maybe the real question is not whether students can do homework during break, but whether they need to.
In a season that is supposed to feel warm and joyful, protecting that time to actually relax might be one assignment worth taking seriously.
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