No fun during homework hours!

[Giftmacher]

This is insane. Indonesian authorities are basically forcing kids to do their homework, and they're banned from going to malls or entertainment centers during a designated time, which apparently according to the government is the time they're supposed to be studying and doing schoolwork.

http://gamepolitics.com/2008/05/05/report-indonesian-authorities-enforce-video-game-ban-during-homework-hours/

This is disturbing, and it's a slippery slope. First no having fun from 7:00-9:00 (and what if they do it earlier?), then what? As one of the below comments said, "Well we all know that the government raising other people’s kids never turned out bad, look at how Nazi Germany turned out".

I just wish parents would actually get off their lazy butts and do something for once, because the government seems to think it's their responsibility to raise kids.

[Doom_Dude]

That is crazy. Indonesia has homework cops now... O_o What a waste of resources.

[Aliotroph?]

Meh. So like two cities are doing it. America has things worse than that: dry counties, daytime curfews, etc. I'd be more concerned with Indonesia's anti-porn law that pretty much restricts people from kissing in public or wearing bikinis -- things like that. At least this law tries to do something productive, rather than just force morality and order down people's throats.

[Ninja_of_DooM]

Seems like a ridiculous rule. Who's going to enforce it? The police? They've surely got better things to be doing than making sure kids do their homework. *whatever*

[ace]

And what if they're done doing homework and studying?

At any rate, what Alio? said. It could be worse, and there are certainly worse things going on around the world than this--by far. And it seems to me that slippery slopes usually don't really follow through over trivial things like this.

[Raptor Jesus]

Sounds pretty bullshit to me. I'd just use that time for nap and then stay out late doing drugs and vandalizing things.

[ghost]

It's a slippery slope indeed, the increasing strength of totalitarianism isn't leaving space for individualism and may lead into affecting humanity, which is the last thing we want. Brave New World, anyone?

[blood imp]

That's fucking stupid. While I agree, much worse things are happening elsewhere, and in Indonesia, this is still pretty stupid. And how the hell the police make sure that EVERY single kid is not watching TV or video games? Fucking stupid.

[ghost]

Well it's in Indonesia, a place where drug runners are killed and terrorists are free on parole. I'm not surprised.

[Heidi]

The new regulations require students, from elementary school to high school, to study between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. either at home alone or with classmates from the same neighborhood. During study time, no TV or video game will be alowed and students will be banned from going to the mall or entertainment centers

2 hours a day without TV or video games for smarter kids? sounds like the good deal to me.

[Potnop]

Well that sucks. What if they got stuff done already. Or what if the kids have to go to the mall to buy something and it's an emergency. These laws might be made with good intent but they are also pretty annoying...

Heh Giftmatcher, is your avatar taken from Iron Maiden's album cover for A Matter of Life and Death? It's like the coolest cover...

[Aliotroph?]

Heidi, you like rules too much. I bet you keep pictures of dictators by your bed. :p

[ace]

2 hours a day without TV or video games for smarter kids? sounds like the good deal to me.

Contrary to popular belief, studying by itself doesn't do shit to make anyone perform better in school. That requires focus, and if you're not focused and determined when studying (which most students aren't), nothing is going to soak in.

And even when studying is effective, it doesn't make anyone smarter; it only makes one remember material better for tests and exams. Half the material taught in schools is irrelevant to daily life, and people simply push it out of their minds as soon as they're done learning it as a result.

I have studied a grand total of less than five times in my school career, and I've actually found that in the circumstances in which I did study, more often than not I underperformed as a result due to the stress and fatigue over it. Otherwise, I've never really needed it.

The real problem is that kids these days want to use the school day for socializing instead of learning, and as a result they're chatting or texting or dozing off when they should be paying attention. Then we give them homework and tell them to study and we wonder why it doesn't help? The answer is because studying won't help a person who does not understand the material to begin with; it serves as a means to reinforce material that's already been learned.

The simple solution is to teach students to pay close attention and be alert during class time and encourage socializing during lunch and after school hours, putting less emphasis on homework and studying.

Weighing students down with school material outside of school hours just makes the whole process a stressful and monotonous drag. It also puts people involved in extracurriculars, particularly sports, at a major disadvantage, to the point where we put these people (namely athletes) to exception, which just furthers the lack of education they are subjected to.

Seriously, Heidi, just because there is a rule or a law or a common belief in place doesn't mean it's absolute. It just means that the majority has made its decision, and the majority is usually misguided--probably from lack of education.

[ghost]

I have to say, I'm currently doing my last year of school. I've just done my trial final exams, and studying has really helped a lot. However, children should be free to study at their own time and scheduling.
My studying was quite relaxing and motivating, I tried to enjoy it, study at a reasonably slowish pace and and I made sure I had good breaks in between. All this done with my own decisions, and I have to say I feel I have achieved really well, my confidence was pretty solid.

Now, if children/students are pressured into studying, restricting social time consequently, life, what are the chances of these children doing well? Virtually zero.
Like ace said, it "makes the whole process a stressful and monotonous drag", and would not be worth anything compared to even not studying.

[deathbecomesme]

I herd that this school in tasmania dont have homework*eek* they dont even know what it is!