Homework – Is It Really Necessary?

Back in 2016, I wrote in this column about the possible value of homework, as it was being much debated in the newspapers at the time. As our schools gear up for open nights, hoping to attract new year 8 pupils for 2023, is it timely to look at this again and see what our schools are setting out as their recommended approach, given that our young people access information and acquire knowledge in new ways now? From a parent’s point of view too, how does a traditional approach to homework fit into contemporary family life?

In my 2016 article, I quoted research by Associate Professor of Educational Psychology in Sydney University Richard Walker, who had raised questions about the value of