Colman Noctor: Why do we ask children to do homework? 

Research has found that homework offers minimal benefits to primary school pupils 

There's no evidence of homework having any beneficial impact on primary school. So why are we pursuing it?

Pandemic anxieties in my therapy room have largely been replaced with the worries of a pending nuclear war. But there has also been a return of some old concerns. One such theme that has come up this week, possibly due to the improvement in the weather, has been the thorny issue of homework. This coincided with Taoiseach Micheál Martin announcing a 'no homework day' from Washington on March 24.

The topic of homework is one of the most common themes in child therapy. It's in the top five, alongside bullying, peer relationship difficulties, family conflict and academic/sporting pressure.

While the young people I speak to may represent the 'thin end of the wedge', my belief, based on the conversations I have had over the years with the children and their families, is that the cost of homework can far outweigh the projected benefits.

It's not about giving in to the wants of children

It is safe to assume that the majority of children dislike homework. But we mustn't give in to the 'wants' of children when it comes to life's challenges. Children need to know that life sometimes asks us to do unpleasant or challenging things. It is essential they learn to endure these challenges because there is a 'greater good' at play. It would not be in anyone's best interest to spare children from adversity, challenge or discomfort.

There needs to be a clear rationale for insisting on an unpleasant or arduous endeavour. For example, getting children to do chores around the house teaches them that dishes don't magically clean themselves, and the clothes fairy does not collect all the laundry at night. The concept of 'teamwork' that encourages children to take responsibility for collective family needs is to be encouraged.

However, I find it difficult to justify the rationale for homework. When children complain about homework, I struggle to find a counterargument. I tend to end up agreeing with them, saying, 'Yes, I know it is far more stressful than it is beneficial, but you just have to do it'. This is not a satisfactory response, but I pride myself on my honesty with the children I work with and feel it would be disingenuous to say anything else.

I have discussed the concept of homework with colleagues, teachers and parents many times. Still, I am not convinced by the arguments that homework is a runner from a cost-benefit perspective.

The argument in favour of homework

The first pro-homework argument is that homework 'trains' children to do work at home, so by Leaving Cert, they will have mastered the art of studying. But the opposite effect is also possible.

Being made to do homework for 13 years in preparation for a final state exam is likely to tarnish the child's relationship with school and education and lessen the probability of them doing 'more study'.

In my experience, most academically driven young people are self-starters. They are internally driven and not created. Human beings are motivated by desire and fear. Heavy homework workloads support the aspirations of the internally motivated self-starter and discourage the young person who is less driven and perhaps on the periphery of opting out of education. Overloading a young person who is already struggling to engage with self-directed work is like pushing a rock uphill - it simply does not work.

The second argument is that 'homework sets children up for life'. In what way? I don't get any homework. If I had to do extra work every day during my time off, I would not be best pleased. When I work after office hours, it is generally something I choose to do - I am not forced to do it. If it was something I felt forced to do, I would not do it to the best of my ability. Surely, we should be encouraging young people to engage meaningfully in activities rather than endorsing a task that is often done half-heartedly (or, in my case, on my lap while on the bus to school in the morning).

The third argument is that parents like to see where their children's academic progress is at. Some even report 'enjoying' doing homework with their children to monitor their progress. But this is an altogether different experience if your child is diligent, hard-working and able compared to the child who has learning needs, where homework is a battleground of tears, arguments and upset. The privilege of being able to glow at how your child's reading age is above average is not reason enough to justify homework. If you want to know where your child is at, ask their teacher. Homework is not an activity for the benefit of parents and nor should it be.

The fourth argument is that homework, in the case of younger children, is only tokenistic and therefore no big deal. But this has a flip side too. The idea that you have to have your evening/ afternoon disrupted to complete an innocuous piece of work can evoke ongoing resentment.

Days of motivating young people by fear have passed

I understand the need to encourage adolescents to engage in self-directed work in the run-up to exam years. But the fact that this needs to be introduced to primary school children is not something I can agree with, and the research supports this view. One of the most extensive studies exploring the benefits of homework was carried out by Harris Cooper in 2006. The researchers found that although there were minimal benefits to homework and academic performance, there was no evidence of it having any beneficial impact on primary school. So why are we pursuing it? The potential benefits of children having more time to play seems a far better use of their time.

With the lost time over the past two years, I worry that the pressure to 'catch up' will result in greater homework workloads, which runs the risk of amplifying children's resentment and anger, leading inevitably to less engagement and a negative relationship with lifelong education.

People may accuse me of being a 'soft touch' and pandering to children's demands, but the days of motivating young people by fear have passed. Engaging children through incentive and desire is a far more effective way to create behavioural change. 

The pandemic pause has offered us an opportunity to reassess our approach to homework. We need to meet children and young people 'where they are at' instead of where 'we want them to be'. In a world where children are overly sedentary, maybe homework could be replaced with initiatives that get children moving would be a possible alternative? And, who knows, perhaps a more engaging, self-directed, afterschool task would help them take ownership of their futures and reduce the feelings of resentment in the face of what they perceive as unreasonable demands.

• Dr Colman Noctor is a child psychotherapist