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Can you say when did you enjoy homework?

I remember all too well my own experience of homework.

As a father of five and communications director at Taaleem schools group, I've seen first-hand the problems that homework can cause: the disruption of precious family time; nightly struggle between tired children and their parents; interrupted holidays; lack of essential downtime for kids to recharge.
And not forgetting the extra burden of planning for teachers.
I know that homework has long been the bane of children's school life (and, I imagine, a fair few teachers and parents, too). While its advocates say that regular structured home study is an essential part of a well-rounded curriculum, I believe it's time to re-evaluate homework's place in the education system.
Traditionally thought to reinforce the lessons learned at school and encourage parents to get actively involved in their children's day, a recent research from Duke University indicates that there's no evidence whatsoever that homework improves the performance of elementary-level students. I couldn't agree more.
I remember all too well my own experience of homework. I was transferred to a secondary school from a wonderfully creative, matriarchal primary school, and up until the age of 11, I learned by inquiry and 'questioning' my teachers.
I wasn't afraid to ask "Why"? I would run home every day with my brain buzzing, looking forward to a quick sandwich before joining my friends to play until it was dark. But my years in secondary school, felt like purgatory.
For older children, too, the negatives often far outweigh the positives. A 2014 study at Harvard University discovered that too much homework causes teens unnecessary stress, health problems haustion and anxiety-related illnesses, and less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits.
By spending too much time studying outside of school hours, the researchers say that 'children are not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills', are more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.
Finnish model
So, what's the alternative? In Finland, primary children are set no homework, and senior grades receive a maximum of 30 minutes each evening. While a lack of homework is just one factor in the success of the country's schools, Finnish students consistently feature at the very top of international league tables for educational performance, across literacy, numeracy and science.
In France too, the existing system was brought into focus when President Francois Hollande announced the abolition of primary level homework, declaring: "An education programme is, by definition, a societal programme. Work should be done at school rather than at home."
It's clear that we need a rethink. Why not take our cue from the Italian teacher whose list of holiday assignments which went viral last summer.
His 15 tasks included : Read more, but not for the sake of reading... The more things you manage to say, the more things you'll manage to think; and the more things you think, the freer you'll be.
That's what I tell parents when they ask me about homework - Read a book with your children, talk to them over the dinner table.
And if they're still adamant about the value of homework, I ask 'what is the best homework ever did?' Not one has ever been able to answer. I think that says it all.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

Clive Pierrepont, Director of Communications, Taaleem