Education Minister Wants to Limit Homework for Middle and High School Students

Daniel David, the Minister of Education and Research, claims that Romanian students spend too much time doing homework at home and proposes better coordination between teachers, under the supervision of the homeroom teacher. Parents could also play an important role in monitoring compliance with this measure.

• Homework should not exceed two hours per day

In a press conference held at Victoria Palace, the Minister of Education and Research, Daniel David, sounded an alarm regarding the volume of homework received by middle and high school students. According to him, the norms established by the ministry are clear: a maximum of two hours of homework per day for middle and high school students. "Normally, at the gymnasium level, there should not be homework collected from all subjects that would lead to a time longer than two hours per day. Unfortunately, this happens, that children have homework that lasts more than two hours," the minister said.

• Coordination should be the responsibility of the teacher

To prevent students from being overloaded, Daniel David proposed that the class teacher become responsible for monitoring the volume of homework, given that this is the teacher closest to the class and can collaborate directly with all the teachers. "Who should do the coordination? It should probably be the teacher, who should be attentive to these things," the minister explained, emphasizing that better communication between teachers is needed to respect the imposed limits.

• Clear rules established by the Ministry of Education

The Minister recalled that there is already an official regulation on the maximum recommended time for homework, differentiated by study levels: at primary level - a maximum of one hour per day, at middle school - a maximum of two hours, at high school - also a maximum of two hours.

However, in practice, the rules are often exceeded, which leads to overwork of students and to a reduction in time for extracurricular activities, rest or social life.

• Schools and parents, involved in the application of the rule

For the effective implementation of these limits, Daniel David believes that monitoring must be carried out directly at the level of each school. At the same time, the Minister encourages the involvement of parents in reporting deviations. "The effective control related to implementation should be done at the school level. And why not involve parents, who can report such a problem to the headmaster, who could take measures through discussions and coordination with the teachers who have classes, so that they can agree on the volume of homework", Daniel David specified.

• Homework: useful exercise or source of stress?

The debate regarding the volume of homework is a recurring one in the Romanian education system. While some parents and teachers consider homework essential for consolidating knowledge, more and more studies and opinions in the pedagogical area draw attention to the negative effects of school overload: stress, anxiety, lack of motivation and even exhaustion. The Ministry of Education now seems to be leaning towards a more balanced model, which would also give students time for personal development, sports, reading and recreational activities - essential elements for a healthy and harmonious education. Better coordination between teachers, parental support, and compliance with regulations could transform homework into a useful tool, not a burden. It remains to be seen whether the stated intentions will be followed by effective measures at the level of each school.