School Homework Offers Little Benefit, Australian Study Finds

Updated: Tuesday, 27 Mar 2012, 8:02 PM EDT

Published : Tuesday, 27 Mar 2012, 7:26 PM EDT

By: The Daily Telegraph

SYDNEY - Children are being lumbered with hours of school homework every week -- but the extra slog does not do them any good, according to an Australian study.

Research reveals elementary school homework offers no real benefit -- and only limited results in junior high school.

Only senior students in grades 11 and 12 benefit from after-school work, said associate professor Richard Walker, from Sydney University's Education Faculty.

"What the research shows is that, in countries where they spend more time on homework, the achievement results are lower," Walker said.

"The amount of homework is a really critical issue for kids. If they are overloaded they are not going to be happy and not going to enjoy it.

"There are other things kids want to do that are very valuable things for them to be doing.

"I don't think anyone except senior high school students should be doing a couple of hours of homework.

"At the moment homework [is often] an add-on because parents want it."

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-24/study-finds-homework-has-limited-value/4330514