The Burden of Homework: Stressed for Success
‘Homework is a burden our kids don’t need.’ Language analysis
The new proposal of a beneficial school curriculum made by the UK Government, including a change in school hours and the number of school homework distributed to students, have sparked much debate in the UK as it has in Australia. In her opinion piece published in the Herald Sun on February 17th this year, Rita Panahi actively discusses the issue regarding the corrupt educational purpose of homework for school children around Australia. Utilising an authoritative and measured tone, Panahi argues that homework is an unnecessary task for students in school to undertake as it is a problem for children’s personal health and brain development. It aims at appealing to full-time parents and legal guardians who are responsible for their children and their schooling. Accompanying this piece, the visual imagery reinforces the many issues concerning students around our nation, struggling to cope with the burden of homework.
Panahi commences the piece with immediate resolution to the issue, enhancing the authoritativeness in her tone. By presenting a “bold plan” to the problem, it not only engages the reader to accept Panahi’s viewpoint, but it also provides hope to an ongoing issue that appeals to our sense of family values. By describing homework as “an issue with adverse results” and as a “burden” to a child’s learning, it immediately presents homework in the worst light possible and generates strong feelings of injustice and distress in her readers, positioning them to accept her contention. The use of appealing to family values engages her readers into agreeing that homework is a less attractive alternative to a better education for our children in Australia.
A variety of persuasive techniques are used by Panahi to effectively construct a powerful argument against the need of homework in Australia. By introducing alliteration in her piece, such as “Finns frown upon homework” after
The new proposal of a beneficial school curriculum made by the UK Government, including a change in school hours and the number of school homework distributed to students, have sparked much debate in the UK as it has in Australia. In her opinion piece published in the Herald Sun on February 17th this year, Rita Panahi actively discusses the issue regarding the corrupt educational purpose of homework for school children around Australia. Utilising an authoritative and measured tone, Panahi argues that homework is an unnecessary task for students in school to undertake as it is a problem for children’s personal health and brain development. It aims at appealing to full-time parents and legal guardians who are responsible for their children and their schooling. Accompanying this piece, the visual imagery reinforces the many issues concerning students around our nation, struggling to cope with the burden of homework.
Panahi commences the piece with immediate resolution to the issue, enhancing the authoritativeness in her tone. By presenting a “bold plan” to the problem, it not only engages the reader to accept Panahi’s viewpoint, but it also provides hope to an ongoing issue that appeals to our sense of family values. By describing homework as “an issue with adverse results” and as a “burden” to a child’s learning, it immediately presents homework in the worst light possible and generates strong feelings of injustice and distress in her readers, positioning them to accept her contention. The use of appealing to family values engages her readers into agreeing that homework is a less attractive alternative to a better education for our children in Australia.
A variety of persuasive techniques are used by Panahi to effectively construct a powerful argument against the need of homework in Australia. By introducing alliteration in her piece, such as “Finns frown upon homework” after