California banning homework to alleviate stress? Know about groundbreaking new law for schools

Governor Gavin Newsom signed the act, officially known as AB 2999, into law in September. Lawmakers passed the bill in an effort to alleviate children’s stress and advance education, equity, and wellbeing.

Does new California act ban homework?

The law does not forbid homework for students, it rather urges school districts to create homework policies for all grade levels.

The objective is to “promote evidence-based homework practices to support pupil learning and well-being, and to ensure consistency and clarity in assigning of homework,” according to the legislation.

The initiative urges educational institutions to reflect on the amount and caliber of work that students are assigned. They are additionally urged to take into account the tools that students have at their disposal to finish their assignments successfully, such as technology and parental assistance.

The survey held by non-profit organisation Challenge Success polled 15,000 high school students in California. The results showed that over half of those surveyed believed some of their tasks were just busy work with little value, and 45% of respondents called homework a major source of stress.

“Homework is exhausting. It’s overwhelming. It’s depressing that my whole day from when I wake up to when I go to bed is taken up doing school work,” sixth-grader Johnson told FOX40.

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Here’s what author of bill has to say

The bill’s author cited studies showing that pupils who have too much homework experience inadequate sleep and other physical health problems like headaches, fatigue, weight loss, and stomach issues.

Democratic assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo told the station it attempts to tackle “a top stressor for kids.”

She said that she recently visited a school in her district where they discussed their efforts to lower the number of students who miss or drop out of school.

“They just get into a hole when you miss homework. You have homework the next day, you are trying to catch up from the old homework—too much homework can overwhelm them,” she said.

The law stipulates that the California Department of Education must publish recommendations for school districts to follow while drafting their homework policies by January 1, 2026.