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If the world of education were a pure place, where children compete only against themselves, then I can see a place for homework. It encourages self-discipline; it helps children to work by themselves and discover how to research a subject; how to manage time and it can reinforce lessons learned during the day, through repetition and clarification. In that ideal world, it helps to encourage a work ethic.

In fact the main point of , is that it helps your child reinforce what they have done in school and when they are younger, provides a chance for parents to be involved in their learning too. According to the Department for Education, in primary school children should start with one hour’s homework a week in Year 1, building up to half an hour a day by Year 6. By the time they reach secondary school, levels of homework step up from 45 minutes a day in Year 7 to about two and a half hours a day, by sixth form.

Personally, I don't really agree with the whole concept of homework in the early years, on the grounds that once children come home, they should be allowed to play rather than set more work. My basic idea is that children are – or should be – learning new things throughout the day. That tires the brain, leaving less energy for further learning or reinforcement later in the day. Higher up the school different issues come into play, but I'm still not entirely convinced by the arguments, until say Year 9 or 10.

Sometimes children are asked to work on a project at home, to back up the learning happening at school. My son was asked to do one such project at junior school - creating a model of a motte and bailey castle - quite a challenge for a class of 8 year-olds. Inevitably, parents are called upon to help.Ìý

Parents are often under a lot of pressure, so trying to find the time to work on projects can be a big ask. Although these can be viewed as a bonding experience, in which parent and child work together and talk about the project, they still require a huge amount of time and often, a random selection of materials (such as old cereal boxes, coloured paper and toilet rolls), which in reality can be rather overwhelmingÌý

So homework might provide an opportunity for parents to bond and to learn together with their child (that is if they can even do the homework their youngster is set, as in my experience, from around early secondary stage, i). Or it might, in an increasingly competitive world, be a way for parents to give their child a helping hand in the rat race.

I think it would be great if, , more teachers could additionally suggest websites or books or newspaper articles, which children can read if they want to know more and parents need have no concerns about working with their children to explore such extra resources.Ìý

In this way, if children like the subject, they can learn more, but if they have something better to do, then there should be no compulsion to spend more time going over a topic that does not interest them. Ìý

There is no denying it though, that when it comes to the final years of secondary school, there is no way out: homework is key if your child is to succeed in both their GCSEs and A Level/AS Level exams.Ìý

David Shaw is a member of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ Parent Panel.

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