A church official is all for the proposals to ban homework for kindergarten to high school students as part of the reforms in the country’s educational system.

Bishop Roberto Mallari, chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education, said that students deserve quality time with their families.

“Schools should design academic and non-academic program schedules in a way that will not affect family time, and that includes no assignments on weekends,” Mallari said.

The prelate stressed the need to also balance a student’s academic and family life for his or her development to become more holistic.

“Academic life is necessary to propel success and a good future for young people. But there are certain limits that school dynamics needs to understand and widely consider,” he said.

“Family life is sacred as it creates opportunities for children and their parents to do things together in the name of holiness, such as sharing stories, playing, celebrating occasions, and attending church, among others,” added Mallari.

Separate measures proposing a no-homework policy were filed in Congress by Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero and Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas.

Escudero’s bill promotes a no-homework policy for kinder to grade 12 pupils and limit school activities to the campus while Vargas’ version wants to ban homework during weekends.

Bishop Mallari added that schools must realize that developing a student is not just limited to spending extensive time in academics and related activities.

“Learning is not purely academic. Value formation is a central point. And value formation happens significantly at home as the students learn and realize to be more giving, collaborative, and live a life with Jesus and Mary,” he said. (CBCPNEWS)