Timed Writing Prompt on Importance of Homework

I subbed today for an eighth grade class that had been assigned a writing prompt.  They had three choices...here's mine:

To the editor:

Homework is necessary to prevent youth from becoming independent productive members of society.  We need compliant citizens, not compassionate leaders.  Parents, guardians, and especially their children do not have the ability to choose how to use free time wisely, and should be afforded none.  Excessive amounts of homework will prevent students from maximizing family time with worthless activities like game nights, athletics, musical pursuits, and reading for pleasure.  But, only if the academic weight of homework assignments also increases.  (Mr. Crane had it right when he petitioned the board to increase homework accountability.)

It's foolish to think one can learn enough in the 6.5 hours a child spends in school to prepare them for the real world.  Sad really considering the world that awaits them wil require at least an 80 hour work week.  What better way to ensure they will be content with this system than to continue with more homework?  Mr. Crane had it right when he assigned homework over the weekend, and more recently over the extended holiday, and hopefully this process will continue to remove the freedom one never should have enjoyed over the summer.  Never should a child experience learning for learning's sake.

It was Einstein who said the best research is play, and  we know where that got him.  By all means, pile on the homework so the children of today can't google a video on learning a pentatonic scale, or how to make a flower from duct tape, or flash their cd player to support more formats.  By all means make them bored because boredom will cause them to seek entertainment that's easily provided by tv.  And the only thing better than homework for stifling freedom may be network television.  

In conclusion, I'd have written more, but I've got homework to do. And you should too. 

The majority of students thought I was in favor of homework.

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