Is it really a good idea to assign homework?

"I'm sort of in the camp that as kids get older, homework is a good idea for both academic and also even perhaps primarily executive function reasons, of having a deliverable. But I think that higher ed, in terms of eliminating homework, is, in many respects, the culprit here because the research coming out - recreating equality as equity - right? - making everyone perform less well in order to make everyone perform more the same,"

"because I also think that there is a public perception that's happening right now that learning should be fun and creative. And, you know, I think that people do not have this perception when they talk about other activities that kids do, like sports or music, you know? For those things, like, practice is key to getting good at it, you know?"

Homework provides academic benefits and supports executive-function skills by requiring deliverables and practice. Higher education trends toward eliminating or reducing homework have influenced K–12 approaches, sometimes justified by equity goals that lower performance expectations to create uniform outcomes. Overcorrection followed earlier periods when excessive homework, including inappropriate preschool assignments, produced stress. A prevailing public perception increasingly emphasizes fun and creative learning, while practice is accepted in activities like sports and music; academic practice through homework faces more resistance. Parents and educators remain divided as schools balance workload, equity concerns, and the developmental value of structured practice.

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