Should homework be banned? Two education experts have their say on the issue which divides parents

It’s something we all remember from childhood, but after hours learning can be controversial. That’s why our latest Talking Point asks – should homework be banned?

In 2012, the government allowed headteachers to decide whether to set homework or not. Many carried on the traditional route, but some schools have banned homework completely, while others changed to a less traditional style.

In September, Philip Morant School and College in Colchester, Essex, was thought to be Britain’s first secondary school to ban homework. Headteacher Catherine Hutley decided her teachers’ time would be better spent delivering great lessons than setting and marking homework.

Primary schools including Inverlochy Primary School in Fort William also hit the headlines after scrapping homework, encouraging children to use the time reading books, magazines and comics.

Is there still a place for after school learning in modern education, or should homework be banned? Our two experts argue each side:

‘As a teacher, I hated giving out homework. From an administrative point of view it was a nightmare – collecting it, chasing up stragglers and marking took an age; worse, I often felt that setting homework was of little benefit to children, aside from those taking exams.

‘British children are some of the most anxious and stressed in the world. Many children also lack fitness or pile on the pounds. By adding additional work to their already straining schedule, we are robbing our kids of precious hours that could be spent outdoors playing, relaxing or interacting with family.

‘Homework is too often driven by school policy rather than genuine need. Homework schedules – devised by schools to ensure that kids only have work from certain subjects on certain nights – mean that sometimes homework is set for its own sake, rather than because a child has reached a certain point in a module.

‘Parents are often drivers of this, complaining when work isn’t set, meaning teachers feel duty bound to set something, whether or not they believe it’s relevant.

‘Pressure to mark within a certain time-frame also means that teachers are burning the midnight oil marking homework rather than spending time planning for more meaningful learning in your child’s lessons.

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‘If all but the absolutely essential homework was removed from the curriculum, there would be little discernible change to learning outcomes. In addition, we might find children’s physical and emotional health improves – building a firmer foundation for their schooling and ensuring that as well as getting good grades, our children get to have a decent childhood.

‘Should homework be banned? Let’s face it, life’s not all about work; and home should be a place where we can rest and relax.’

‘If homework is set correctly, it should not be a stressful process for the children, but an opportunity to apply the concepts taught within school in an independent environment.

‘There is often too much reliance on schools and teachers as the facilitators of learning, whereas the real aim of teaching should be to encourage children to want to learn for the joy of learning. It’s a balancing act, but home learning should be used to foster an understanding that learning isn’t constrained to schools.

‘For teachers it allows them to get a better grasp on each student’s ability and understanding of the subject. It also allows them to extend a learner’s understanding by pointing them towards additional reading or activities.

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‘For parents, it can create an opportunity to sit down with their child and discuss how school is going and find out how they can help. It’s also a chance for them to see when children are finding learning more difficult and step in where necessary.

‘Finally, for students it can give them the opportunity to test themselves on their subject knowledge and to more fully engage with a subject, without the restrictions of the classroom. It allows them to identify certain topics/areas within subjects that they might be struggling with, which in turn allows them to find extra help to combat this.

‘I understand there are concerns regarding homework causing stress for children and that it favours children with households with a better educational environment,’ he says. ‘However, we should be solving those specific issues, not throwing homework out with the bathwater.

‘If homework can foster independence, an improvement of skills and a better commitment to learning, which, if done well, it can, then it can be incredibly beneficial to learners of all ages.

‘Should homework be banned? To rule homework out entirely would be far too reactionary and short-sighted. Homework should be another tool, which is wielded wisely to improve learning and engagement.’