Homework should be scrapped because it's 'too stressful for families' says teaching body

Homework set by primary schools should be scrapped because it is so hard it causes families stress, a government teaching body has said.

The Teaching Schools Council said there is also little evidence that homework helps children learn.

The teacher training organisation said primary schools should only hand out homework when it is justified and when there are “evident benefits for pupils”.

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In a report, the council said that if homework is set for pupils, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

This is because the teaching body wants homework to be carried out by children themselves and not their parents.

Pupils should be able to complete the tasks “without too much struggle and without needing to lean heavily on their parents”, it said.

Another option floated is to set time limits on homework, meaning a pupil will not be expected to complete it if it takes too long.

The idea is to “minimise the load and family stress”.

The report also suggests children could get their classmates to mark their work if teachers do not have time, the Daily Mail reported.

However, many educationists believe the wrong message is being sent out about homework and that it remains a vital component of school life.

Dr Helen Abadzi, a senior education specialist at the World Bank, told a Cambridge University conference last month that homework allows children to reconsolidate what they learned in class.