Research has cast doubt over the benefits of homework. And, with teachers complaining over the increased workload caused by marking and assessment, pupils refusing to do the work they have been set, and parents pointing to homework as a major source of conflict within the family, this Talking Point debates whether the concept of homework is facing a crisis. In our report we follow a school that has made the radical decision to abolish homework and find out what parents and pupils feel about the work that teachers set them. Our panellists debate the benefits of children being set work outside of school, what sort of work that should be and whether homework is a tool of segregation between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils.

Video Series: Talking Point
Release Date 2006