I shouldn’t think: “Thank God, I have the holiday to get all my homework done!”

But yet there I was thinking just that, with the four day extended weekend.

I hate to allow for such ridiculous monologues in my head, but it’s the truth. And this is an accurate narrative for many high school students.

The struggle–or rather war–between students and homework is a long fought one with many offering alternatives to the status quo of work we currently face now. But I’m not even talking right now about abolishing homework or a much more radical suggestion than even that.

I’m talking about something relevant to all of us–the sanctity of holidays and breaks. Maybe this seems to be an overreaction, but I’m quite serious. Is nothing sacred anymore?

Here’s how it usually goes: 1) Students get surprised with work that’s apparently due over or during the break. 2) Said students groan and complain. 3) These very students are told not to complain considering they have a four day weekend to get everything done or something to that extent.

There are key details and pieces of logic missing in this scenario, however. If every teacher is to assign homework or even a considerably heavier workload than normal with the break in mind, driving their decision, then there’s simply too much to accomplish in comparison to a regular weekday or weekend.

That’s why I ask: Is a break too much to ask? Is there really so much in a curriculum worth cramming in that breaks can’t be off limits. What does this say about school then? Should we consider the inefficiencies in the classroom and instead remedy them?

Work adds up.

Hours add up.

Stress piles up.

Our brains shut down.

All the while students are trying to wind down.