New study says: Homework is harmful to children, and should be avoided until high school

Researchers at Duke University have found that homework is not what it should be.

It's no secret that students today do more homework than they ever used to.

The amount of information we expect children to know is much greater than in any other generation before. Children spend hours and over textbooks, well beyond their 8 hours of daily study.

Homework has been a common and accepted form of education for so long that its very difficult to convince parents and educators that the time has come for a change.

Homework has its advantages, but researchers say they are specific to certain ages. Harris Cooper, principal investigator on the effectiveness of homework, conducted over 180 studies examining various aspects of the subject.

The studies have shown that at the elementary school level, homework didn't have an impact on information retention and success.

In middle school, the effects of homework were symbolic, at best. Only in high school (Grades 10-12) and at university did homework have a positive effect.

Because homework doesn't have a positive effect on children, the pressure and time invested in them is negative for the adolescent children. It creates pressure in the family when parents fight and force children to do their works.

Because parental discipline is need for children to do their homework, the children become dependent on their parents and other adults for the necessary discipline to complete the tasks.

Learning can take from children enormous amounts of time and energy. After a long school day they have additional tasks to complete.

This time should be for enrichment activities, games, personal exploration and development.

Instead of pushing facts to the children's throat, they need to develop their own personal talents.