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The Great British Homework Debate 2024 – Is It Necessary At Primary School?

Alexander Athienitis

The homework debate is never much out of the news. Should homework be banned? Is homework at primary school a waste of time? Do our children get too much homework?

Not long ago, UK-based US comedian Rob Delaney set the world alight with a tweet giving his own personal view of homework at primary school. We thought, as an organisation that provides maths homework support on a weekly basis, it was time to look at the facts around the homework debate in primary schools as well as, of course, reflecting the views of celebrities and those perhaps more qualified to offer an opinion!

Here’s how Rob Delaney kicked things off

Gary Lineker leant his support with the following soundbite:

And even Piers Morgan weighed in, with his usual balance of tact and sensitivity:

A very experienced and knowledgeable Headteacher, Simon Smith, who has a well-earned following on Twitter (for someone working in education, not hosting Match of the Day) also put his neck on the line and, some might think controversially, agreed with the golden-heeled Crisp King of Leicester…

Fortunately Katharine Birbalsingh, Conservative Party Conference keynote speaker and Founding Headteacher of the Michaela School, was on hand to provide the alternative view on the importance of homework. Her op-ed piece in the Sun gave plenty of reasons why homework should not be banned.

She was informative and firm in her article stating: “Homework is essential for a child’s education because revisiting the day’s learning is what helps to make it stick.”

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How much homework do UK primary school children get?

Sadly, there’s little data comparing how much homework primary school-aged children in the UK and across the globe complete on a weekly basis. A study of teenagers used by The Telegraph shows that American high-schoolers spend an average of 6.1 hours per week compared with 4.9 hours per week of homework each week for UK-based teens.

Up until 2012, the Department of Education recommended an hour of homework a week for primary school Key Stage 1 children (aged 4 to 7) and half an hour a day for primary school Key Stage 2 children (aged 7-11). Many primary schools still use this as a guideline.

Teachers, parents and children in many schools across the land have seen more changes of homework policy than numbers of terms in some school years.

A ‘no-homework’ policy pleases only a few; a grid of creative tasks crowd-sourced from the three teachers bothered to give their input infuriates many (parents, teachers and children alike). For some parents, no matter how much homework is set, it’s never enough; for others, even asking them to fill in their child’s reading record once a week can be a struggle due to a busy working life.

Homework is very different around the world

We’d suggest that Piers Morgan’s argument for homework in comparing the UK’s economic and social progress with China’s in recent years based on total weekly homework hours is somewhat misguided – we can’t put their emergence as the world’s (if not already, soon to be) leading superpower exclusively down to having their young people endure almost triple the number of hours spent completing homework as their Western counterparts.

Nonetheless, there’s certainly a finer balance to strike between the 14 hours a week suffered by Shanghainese school-attendees and none whatsoever. Certainly parents in the UK spend less time each week helping their children than parents in emerging economies such as India, Vietnam and Colombia (Source: Varkey Foundation Report).

Disadvantages of homework at primary school

Delaney, whose son attends a London state primary school, has made it plain that he thinks his kids get given too much homework and he’d rather have them following more active or creative pursuits: drawing or playing football. A father of four sons and a retired professional footballer Gary Linaker was quick to defend this but he also has the resources to send his children to top boarding schools which generally provide very structured homework or ‘prep’ routines.

As parents Rob and Gary are not alone. According to the 2018 Ofsted annual report on Parents Views  more than a third of parents do not think homework in primary school is helpful to their children. They cite the battles and arguments it causes not to mention the specific challenges it presents to families with SEND children many of whom report serious damage to health and self-esteem as a result of too much or inappropriate homework.

It’s a truism among teachers that some types of homework tells you very little about what the child can achieve and much more about a parent’s own approach to the work. How low does your heart sink when your child comes back with a D & T project to create Stonehenge and you realise it’s either an all-nighter with glue, cardboard and crayons for you, or an uncompleted homework project for your child!

Speaking with our teacher hats on, we can tell you that homework is often cited in academic studies looking at academic progress in primary school-aged children as showing minimal to no impact.

Back on Twitter, a fellow teacher was able to weigh-in with that point:

Benefits of homework at primary school

So what are the benefits of homework at primary school? According to the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (the key research organisations dedicated to breaking the link between family income and educational achievement) the impact of homework at primary is low, but it also doesn’t cost much.

They put it at a “+2 months” impact against a control of doing nothing. To put this into context, 1-to-1 tuition is generally seen as a +5 months impact but it’s usually considered to be expensive.

“There is some evidence that when homework is used as a short and focused intervention it can be effective in improving students’ attainment … overall the general benefits are likely to be modest if homework is more routinely set.”

Key to the benefit you’ll see from homework is that the task is appropriate and of good quality. The quantity of homework a pupil does is not so important. In this matter Katharine Birbalsingh is on the money. Short focused tasks which relate directly to what is being taught, and which are built upon in school, are likely to be more effective than regular daily homework.

In our view it’s about consolidation. So focusing on a few times tables that you find tricky or working through questions similar to what you’ve done in class that day or week often can be beneficial. 2 hours of worksheets on a Saturday when your child could be outside having fun and making friends probably isn’t. If you really want them to be doing maths, then do some outdoor maths with them instead of homework !

At Third Space Learning we believe it’s all about balance. Give the right sort of homework and the right amount at primary school and there will be improvements, but much of it comes down to parental engagement.

One of our favourite ways to practise maths at home without it become too onerous is by using educational games. Here are our favourite fun maths games , some brilliant KS2 maths games , KS1 maths games and KS3 maths games for all maths topics and then a set of 35 times tables games which are ideal for interspersing with your regular times tables practice. And best of all, most of them require no more equipment than a pen and paper or perhaps a pack of cards.

Homework and parents

One of the key benefits cited by EEF is in regard to parental engagement. Time after time, the greatest differentiator between children who make great progress at school – and those, frankly – who don’t is due to the same factor in the same studies: parental engagement .

It is a fair assumption that if a parent is engaged in their child’s learning, they’re probably going to be the same parents who encourage and support their child when they’re completing their homework.

Whereas parents who are disengaged with their child’s school and schooling – for whatever reason (sorry, Piers, it’s rarely due to laziness), are highly unlikely to be aware of what homework gets set each week, let alone to be mucking in with making sure it gets handed in completed and on time.

We also encounter time and again, the issue of parents’ own lack of confidence in maths. A survey by Pearson found that:

• 30 percent of parents “don’t feel confident enough in their own maths skills to help their children with their primary school maths homework”
• 53 per cent insisted they struggled to understand the new maths teaching methods used in modern classrooms. Fortunately that’s what we’re here to address.

Setting the right homework at primary school can be tricky

Although we disagree with Piers, we can see what he may be driving at in terms of setting appropriate homework.

The question quickly becomes what would Piers think of as being ‘interesting’ homework, and if all four of his children would agree upon the same thing being ‘interesting’.

That’s the problem.

One would imagine Piers would find it hard enough finding one task to satisfy the interest of all of his four children – it’s almost impossible to find a task that will engage the interest of 30 or more children in their out of school hours.

Each with different emotional, behavioural and learning needs, then sprinkle in the varying levels of poverty each family suffers (be it financial or in terms of time), and you can see how it isn’t just about being a good or bad teacher – whatever that means – in regards to being able to set Morgan-approved homework tasks.

What does this mean for my child?

Ultimately, the question at the top of mind whenever a parent thinks about homework is a more general one – am I doing the best for my child?

Although the world is changing at a faster pace than ever before in human history, what’s best for children hasn’t changed that much (if at all).

One-to-one support is best, and young people benefit most from adult-child conversations where they acquire new vocabulary and language structures to form and share their thoughts and opinions.

These insights – that one-to-one support is best and that regular, structured adult-child conversations are life-changing within a child’s development – are what inspired us to create Third Space Learning.

A platform where children can engage with a community of specialist tutors in a safe, structured learning environment where they are able to engage in one-to-one conversations that enable them to progress in their learning with confidence.

• How to help your child with their maths homework – A parents guide
• The Best Homework Hacks: 18 Tips And Tricks To Help Busy Parents Get It Done Faster!
• The 20 Most Recommended Teaching Blogs for UK Teachers and School Leaders

DO YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORT IN MATHS?

Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of students across hundreds of schools with weekly one to one tuition designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 these personalised one to one lessons have helped over 150,000 primary and secondary students become more confident, able mathematicians.

Learn about our experience with schools or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

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Should homework be banned?

Social media has sparked into life about whether children should be given homework - should students be freed from this daily chore? Dr Gerald Letendre, a professor of education at Pennsylvania State University, investigates.

We’ve all done it: pretended to leave an essay at home, or stayed up until 2am to finish a piece of coursework we’ve been ignoring for weeks. Homework, for some people, is seen as a chore that’s ‘wrecking kids’ or ‘killing parents’, while others think it is an essential part of a well-rounded education. The problem is far from new: public debates about homework have been raging since at least the early-1900s, and recently spilled over into a Twitter feud between Gary Lineker and Piers Morgan.

Ironically, the conversation surrounding homework often ignores the scientific ‘homework’ that researchers have carried out. Many detailed studies have been conducted, and can guide parents, teachers and administrators to make sensible decisions about how much work should be completed by students outside of the classroom.

So why does homework stir up such strong emotions? One reason is that, by its very nature, it is an intrusion of schoolwork into family life. I carried out a study in 2005, and found that the amount of time that children and adolescents spend in school, from nursery right up to the end of compulsory education, has greatly increased over the last century . This means that more of a child’s time is taken up with education, so family time is reduced. This increases pressure on the boundary between the family and the school.

Plus, the amount of homework that students receive appears to be increasing, especially in the early years when parents are keen for their children to play with friends and spend time with the family.

Finally, success in school has become increasingly important to success in life. Parents can use homework to promote, or exercise control over, their child’s academic trajectory, and hopefully ensure their future educational success. But this often leaves parents conflicted – they want their children to be successful in school, but they don’t want them to be stressed or upset because of an unmanageable workload.

However, the issue isn’t simply down to the opinions of parents, children and their teachers – governments also like to get involved. In the autumn of 2012, French president François Hollande hit world headlines after making a comment about banning homework, ostensibly because it promoted inequality. The Chinese government has also toyed with a ban, because of concerns about excessive academic pressure being put on children.

The problem is, some politicians and national administrators regard regulatory policy in education as a solution for a wide array of social, economic and political issues, perhaps without considering the consequences for students and parents.

Does homework work?

Homework seems to generally have a positive effect for high school students, according to an extensive range of empirical literature. For example, Duke University’s Prof Harris Cooper carried out a meta-analysis using data from US schools, covering a period from 1987 to 2003. He found that homework offered a general beneficial impact on test scores and improvements in attitude, with a greater effect seen in older students. But dig deeper into the issue and a complex set of factors quickly emerges, related to how much homework students do, and exactly how they feel about it.

In 2009, Prof Ulrich Trautwein and his team at the University of Tübingen found that in order to establish whether homework is having any effect, researchers must take into account the differences both between and within classes . For example, a teacher may assign a good deal of homework to a lower-level class, producing an association between more homework and lower levels of achievement. Yet, within the same class, individual students may vary significantly in how much homework improves their baseline performance. Plus, there is the fact that some students are simply more efficient at completing their homework than others, and it becomes quite difficult to pinpoint just what type of homework, and how much of it, will affect overall academic performance.

Over the last century, the amount of time that children and adolescents spend in school has greatly increased

Gender is also a major factor. For example, a study of US high school students carried out by Prof Gary Natriello in the 1980s revealed that girls devote more time to homework than boys, while a follow-up study found that US girls tend to spend more time on mathematics homework than boys. Another study, this time of African-American students in the US, found that eighth grade (ages 13-14) girls were more likely to successfully manage both their tasks and emotions around schoolwork, and were more likely to finish homework.

So why do girls seem to respond more positively to homework? One possible answer proposed by Eunsook Hong of the University of Nevada in 2011 is that teachers tend to rate girls’ habits and attitudes towards work more favourably than boys’. This perception could potentially set up a positive feedback loop between teacher expectations and the children’s capacity for academic work based on gender, resulting in girls outperforming boys. All of this makes it particularly difficult to determine the extent to which homework is helping, though it is clear that simply increasing the time spent on assignments does not directly correspond to a universal increase in learning.

Can homework cause damage?

The lack of empirical data supporting homework in the early years of education, along with an emerging trend to assign more work to this age range, appears to be fuelling parental concerns about potential negative effects. But, aside from anecdotes of increased tension in the household, is there any evidence of this? Can doing too much homework actually damage children?

Evidence suggests extreme amounts of homework can indeed have serious effects on students’ health and well-being. A Chinese study carried out in 2010 found a link between excessive homework and sleep disruption: children who had less homework had better routines and more stable sleep schedules. A Canadian study carried out in 2015 by Isabelle Michaud found that high levels of homework were associated with a greater risk of obesity among boys, if they were already feeling stressed about school in general.

For useful revision guides and video clips to assist with learning, visit BBC Bitesize . This is a free online study resource for UK students from early years up to GCSEs and Scottish Highers.

It is also worth noting that too much homework can create negative effects that may undermine any positives. These negative consequences may not only affect the child, but also could also pile on the stress for the whole family, according to a recent study by Robert Pressman of the New England Centre for Pediatric Psychology. Parents were particularly affected when their perception of their own capacity to assist their children decreased.

What then, is the tipping point, and when does homework simply become too much for parents and children? Guidelines typically suggest that children in the first grade (six years old) should have no more that 10 minutes per night, and that this amount should increase by 10 minutes per school year. However, cultural norms may greatly affect what constitutes too much.

A study of children aged between 8 and 10 in Quebec defined high levels of homework as more than 30 minutes a night, but a study in China of children aged 5 to 11 deemed that two or more hours per night was excessive. It is therefore difficult to create a clear standard for what constitutes as too much homework, because cultural differences, school-related stress, and negative emotions within the family all appear to interact with how homework affects children.

Should we stop setting homework?

In my opinion, even though there are potential risks of negative effects, homework should not be banned. Small amounts, assigned with specific learning goals in mind and with proper parental support, can help to improve students’ performance. While some studies have generally found little evidence that homework has a positive effect on young children overall, a 2008 study by Norwegian researcher Marte Rønning found that even some very young children do receive some benefit. So simply banning homework would mean that any particularly gifted or motivated pupils would not be able to benefit from increased study. However, at the earliest ages, very little homework should be assigned. The decisions about how much and what type are best left to teachers and parents.

As a parent, it is important to clarify what goals your child’s teacher has for homework assignments. Teachers can assign work for different reasons – as an academic drill to foster better study habits, and unfortunately, as a punishment. The goals for each assignment should be made clear, and should encourage positive engagement with academic routines.

Parents should inform the teachers of how long the homework is taking, as teachers often incorrectly estimate the amount of time needed to complete an assignment, and how it is affecting household routines. For young children, positive teacher support and feedback is critical in establishing a student’s positive perception of homework and other academic routines. Teachers and parents need to be vigilant and ensure that homework routines do not start to generate patterns of negative interaction that erode students’ motivation.

Likewise, any positive effects of homework are dependent on several complex interactive factors, including the child’s personal motivation, the type of assignment, parental support and teacher goals. Creating an overarching policy to address every single situation is not realistic, and so homework policies tend to be fixated on the time the homework takes to complete. But rather than focusing on this, everyone would be better off if schools worked on fostering stronger communication between parents, teachers and students, allowing them to respond more sensitively to the child’s emotional and academic needs.

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Professor Ends The Debate On Whether Homework Is Essential For Kids

Freelance Life Writer, HuffPost UK

If you have children in school, chances are you’ve entered the homework battle more than once. The to-and-fro, the bargaining, the begging, the trying to figure out maths equations that remind you how long ago your own school days were. It can feel like an uphill battle and for some time now, parents have argued that it isn’t essential for learning.

Joyce L.Epstein,co-director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University said, “It’s always been the case that parents, kids—and sometimes teachers, too—wonder if this is just busy work.”

However, after decades of researching how to improve schools, the professor has found that homework is essential but with one caveat — teachers need to have done their homework, too.

Teachers need to be doing homework, too

Speaking to Futurity , Epstein said that the issue isn’t homework itself but how it’s designed. She said “Future teachers and administrators really have little formal training on how to design homework before they assign it. This means that most just repeat what their teachers did, or they follow textbook suggestions at the end of units.”

She added that it’s important that future teachers receive “systematic training” to understand that they have the power, opportunity, and obligation to design homework that has a purpose and what she means is that this homework should be more interactive.

This is because over time, homework assignments can be stagnant. The example she gives is spelling tests and math problems which lead to students getting bored and eventually giving up all together. Instead, she says that the homework assignments that seem to be the most effective are speaking with parents, grandparents, or peers to share ideas.

Epstein added, “Our data show that with ‘good’ assignments, more kids finish their work, more kids interact with a family partner, and more parents say, ‘I learned what’s happening in the curriculum’. It all works around what the youngsters are learning.”

While some parents and teachers argue that kids should be able to play after school, Epstein urges that if homework is designed so that even struggling students want to do it because it’s interesting, it can a positive experience saying, “Just about all students at any age level react positively to good assignments and will tell you so.”

So, is homework essential? Yes. It seems so. But it seems that the days of going home with a sheet of paper to fill in are ending.

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The optimus blog, the blog that inspires leaders in the uk education sector, the homework debate.

Tom Fay delves into the polarising realm of homework in education. The debate weighs the benefits against potential pitfalls, exploring issues such as student overload, social inequality and technology's evolving impact on learning.

The conversation about homework is one of the most polarising in education. While schools throughout the country strive for the elusive 'homework Goldilocks zone', there are too many variables to control to find the best fit. To compound the issue further, there is little data to support how much is right or more to the point, how much has a tangible impact.

A 'no homework' policy pleases few parents. For others, recording a child's reading record once a week in primary schools can be a struggle due to their working life. With the country still feeling the effects of the COVID pandemic, people think differently about children's wellbeing and mental health. This has a perceptual impact on what children should do once they get home from school; for some, that should be socialising with family members or friends and certainly not doing more hours of schoolwork!

Are there benefits that outweigh the cons?

Homework can play a positive role in making essential subject information 'stick'. You can also use it as a tool to develop subject mastery and a love of a specific subject if the teacher 'sells' it correctly.

Evidence suggests that homework is most effective when it is an integral part of learning rather than a bolt-on. To maximise impact, it is important that pupils receive high-quality feedback on their work. Pupils of all ages must see that their efforts in completing homework outside of school hours are matched by the teacher's effort in marking it and providing developmental feedback. This will add to the credibility of having to do extra work in the first place ( Songsirisak and Jitpranee, 2019) . 

Moreover, there is an argument to suggest that not all pupils need homework or certainly not to the same extent. For example, what use is homework that reinforces content already assimilated in the long-term memory of a pupil? Surely, in classrooms with pupils at different stages of learning, we need to consider how activities out of school support the consolidatory and mastery process at an individual/group level. 

Recent research from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) suggests homework positively impacts pupil progress by an average of +5 months. However, the impact is slightly less in primary settings and there are still many uncontrollable variables to consider.

Homework develops other skills associated with learning like time management, research, independence, spaced repetition and pupil confidence. In some cases, it also reduces unnecessary 'screen time' and can foster more productive parent–child relationships. Finally, a school's homework policy tells parents and external stakeholders a little more about the culture and expectations of a school. We will touch upon this later.

Do the cons outweigh the benefits?

Pupils already spend six to eight hours in school, five days a week. This raises the question of how productive pupils (especially younger pupils) will be when they get home from school. Are we doing everything we can to prevent physical and mental overload?

Homework activities will certainly interfere with social interaction and can, at worst, widen social inequality. Homework can often be a solitary activity that prevents pupils from taking up hobbies or exercising outside. We must also consider the evolution of AI and the use of digital technology that can lead to cheating. This, of course, is only applicable to pupils with access to digital technology.

I am also conscious of teacher wellbeing and workload. Nothing will ruin a teacher's evening or a weekend more than marking unnecessary tasks at excessive volumes. This is one of the reasons why teacher feedback is often generic, of poor quality and provides little to no clear direction for further pupil development. This problem is exacerbated for the weakest pupils and those who struggle to read!

Six top tips

So how do you turn policies about homework into something meaningful for all?

1. Conxtextualise and communicate clearly

Homework policies and practices send messages to external stakeholders about what value schools place on different curriculum areas. Remember, parents will have their own views and experiences with homework. Do not expect them to read policies. They need to know the whats , whys and whens of homework clearly and succinctly through school communication channels.

The same applies to pupils. The 'why' is important here. Pupils need contextualised homework and wherever possible, it should be enjoyable. Communication with parents/carers needs to be at least annually. The start of the academic year is a good time to reset expectations and to explain how homework plays a role in learning. 

2. Offer support

Do not underestimate a parental lack of confidence when supporting children in completing homework. Offer support where necessary. In the schools that form part of my Trust, an increasing number of pupils attend homework clubs, where they can work with their peers and adults to complete activities. Parents appreciate this, not only for the expertise we can provide, but it allows parents to not have to focus on a pupil's homework when they get in after a busy day of work. Instead, they can use this time for social activities.

We also offer parental workshops for those who want to support our early reading strategies and/or other areas of the curriculum. Remember, pupils do not always have to complete homework at home. Parental involvement sends a clear message to the pupil about the importance of these activities and further fosters positive home–school relationships.

3. Make it achievable

The time needed to consolidate learning outside of the classroom is pupil-dependent. There is no one-size-fits-all ( Fan et al. 2022) . However, there needs to be a carefully considered minimum and maximum. If pupils spend excessive hours completing homework tasks, what does that say about our quality of education and pedagogy? Support pupils with their time management and provide tasks that are achievable to support key learning.

4. Developmental feedback

Share your part in the process. Let pupils know that you take their homework seriously. Provide them with developmental feedback that is easy to implement so you can check progress over time. Make sure the consequences of not doing homework are fair and consistently applied. Listen to the pupils. Some pupils may not have a quiet space for home learning or the technology to access it. Do your homework on these pupils!

5. Quality over quantity

Consider the quality over quantity. Use well-designed tasks linked to the key learning you want pupils to have. Remember to explicitly teach them independent learning strategies. There is also a time and a place for homework to be completed in groups or over social media where applicable. Group tasks to consolidate learning or activities where pupils must play an individual role as part of a learning group can work just as effectively as solo study.

6. Meaningful not arbitrary

Finally, do not give homework for homework's sake. It needs to be responsive and organic to pupils' needs and the barriers you unearth yearly in the curriculum. The same homework tasks will not work all the time. As we know, pupil group dynamics can change dramatically in a short period.

• The Great Homework Debate in Primary Schools 2023

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by Huntington Research School on the 10th November 2017

“ Most homework teachers set is crap.” Dylan Wiliam, ResearchEd 2014 .

The subject of homework inspires strong opinions. Teachers, parents and students themselves all have a view on the matter and those views are often diametrically opposed. Dylan Wiliam , back in 2014 , shared a very strong opinion that didn’t exactly condemn the evidence and action related to homework to the dustbin, but he poked a gaping hole into our every assumption about homework and its impact.

At Huntington School, we battled with the issues and surveyed the best available evidence, from the EEF Toolkit ( Secondary and Primary – note the crucial differences here: homework is much more effective with older children), to specific recent studies on homework (this one via Dan Willingham ). The IEE ​ ‘ Best Evidence in Brief ‘ newsletter has done a great job of collating homework research HERE . Certainly, knowing the evidence base can help our decision-making, though it is of course a little more complicated than that.

So What Does The Evidence Say?

Homework (or home learning, or ​ “ extended learning” as we relabelled it at Huntington) is seemingly most effective when it involves practice or rehearsal of subject matter already taught. Students should not typically be exposed to new material for their home learning, unless they are judged more expert learners. Complex, open ended homework is often completed least effectively; whereas, short, frequent homework, closely monitored by teachers is more likely to have more impact. This could include summarising notes; using graphic organisers to recast classroom materials; guided research; exam question practise; guided revision etc.

Home learning is proven to be more effective with older students than their younger counterparts. This is typically because they are more able to self-regulate their learning and they have more background knowledge to draw upon. For similar reasons, high ability students typically benefit more from home learning than low ability students.

Teacher scaffolding is essential to guide effective home learning. Parental involvement is desirable, but it should not be essential, otherwise the nature of the task is likely too complex for successful completion.

What Makes Home Learning Effective?

Cathy Vatterott ( 2010 ) identified five fundamental characteristics of good homework: purpose, efficiency, ownership, competence, and aesthetic appeal.

• Purpose : all homework assignments are mean­ingful &  students must also understand the purpose of the assignment and why it is important in the context of their academic experience (Xu,  2011 ).
• Efficiency : homework should not take an inordinate amount of time and should require some hard thinking.
• Ownership : students who feel connected to the content and assignment learn more and are more motivat­ed. Providing students with choice in their assignments is one way to create ownership.
• Competence: students should feel competent in completing homework. In order to achieve this, it’s benefi­cial to abandon the one-size-fits-all model. Homework that students can’t do without help is not good homework.
• Inspiring: A well-considered &  clearly designed resource and task impacts positively upon student motivation.

We should pose ourselves some tricky questions:

• Has the purpose of the homework been made clear to students?
• Are the students in possession of all the resources require to undertake the task independently?
• What are the existing beliefs about home learning (students &  teachers) that we need to recognise/​challenge?
• How can we best leverage parental support for home learning that is effectively communicated?
• How do you plan to provide specific and timely feedback to students on their home learning?

Maybe Wiliam is right and that regardless of the evidence, too much of the homework we set is just crap! The challenge is certainly a healthy one given the cost in terms of time for all involved. We should expect that every teacher and school leader understands the nuanced evidence that attends homework, with the differences that relate to individuals, groups and students of very different ages and stages of development. We will still be left with tricky decisions and no little disagreement, but we will be better off having tackled the issue properly.

If you want to read more about the evidence that attends homework, then try the following:

Related Reading:

• Professor Sue Hallam, from the Institute of Education, has written an excellent summary of homework, entitled ​ ‘ Homework: It’s Uses and Abuses ‘.
• The Time magazine article is a handy and accessible summary of the debate, entitled: ​ ‘ Homework: Is It Any Good for Kids ‘.
• This ASCD educational leadership article is not the most recent recently, but it is very good and clear: ​ ‘ If Only They’d Do Their Work ’.

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Research Evidence in Education

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The Homework Debate: A Brief Summary

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T1 - The Homework Debate

T2 - A Brief Summary

AU - Bradfield, Kylie

AU - Priestley, Mark

N2 - Homework is generally agreed to be tasks “assigned to students by school teachers that are meant to be carried our during non-school hours”(Cooper, 1989, p. 7). The simplicity of this definition obscures the complexity of both the concept and implications of homework. There are also been extensive debates generated in educational contexts. Indeed, arguments surrounding the efficacy of homework have continued in an almost cyclical measure for decades (Gill & Schlossman, 2000). While the early 20th century brought arguments that the employment of homework built disciplined minds, mid-century attitudes were concerned that homework was an interference with time spent outside of schooling. Soon after this, attention once again focused on a supposed lapse in rigour within education, with homework seen as part of the solution. In the 1980s, concerns returned to homework and the potential damage to students’ mental wellbeing. Since then, debates about homework have continued, with arguments detailing both specific and generic concerns. There is also concern that policymakers and researchers “make generalized and frequently polemical statements about what it is and what it should achieve”(Warton, 2001, p. 155).

AB - Homework is generally agreed to be tasks “assigned to students by school teachers that are meant to be carried our during non-school hours”(Cooper, 1989, p. 7). The simplicity of this definition obscures the complexity of both the concept and implications of homework. There are also been extensive debates generated in educational contexts. Indeed, arguments surrounding the efficacy of homework have continued in an almost cyclical measure for decades (Gill & Schlossman, 2000). While the early 20th century brought arguments that the employment of homework built disciplined minds, mid-century attitudes were concerned that homework was an interference with time spent outside of schooling. Soon after this, attention once again focused on a supposed lapse in rigour within education, with homework seen as part of the solution. In the 1980s, concerns returned to homework and the potential damage to students’ mental wellbeing. Since then, debates about homework have continued, with arguments detailing both specific and generic concerns. There is also concern that policymakers and researchers “make generalized and frequently polemical statements about what it is and what it should achieve”(Warton, 2001, p. 155).

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The Homework Debate 2021: Do Primary Schoolers Really Need Homework?

The homework debate resurfaces every year without fail. It is a popular topic with parents, primary school teachers, online tutors, and politicians alike. Should homework be banned? Is homework at primary school necessary? Do pupils receive enough education in class that homework is nothing but a waste of time? – These are all questions that you have no doubt heard before.

Is the homework debate even relevant in the context of COVID-19? As an  online maths tuition service  for KS1 and KS2 pupils, we believe so! Sometimes we set our students homework. We believe that this debate is more relevant now than it has ever been. Let’s discover why…

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“Homework should be banned!” – The call to action

Our children are too tired!

Is it the case that we put too much pressure on children these days? At the age of 7, UK primary school pupils are expected to sit their Key Stage 1 SATs test. This continues in primary school up until Year 6 when they are expected to prepare for and sit their Key Stage 2 SATs test.

Some parents argue that this leaves little time for kids to wind down at home. When can they find the time to indulge in sports, hobbies, and creative interests if their time is consumed by homework? Let’s not forget the added stress caused by the UK Coronavirus lockdown.

Primary school homework does more harm than good:

A BBC Newsround report from 2018 consulted education experts on their views of the homework debate. Nansi Ellis, Assistant General Secretary at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers argued that homework gets in the way of all the good things kids enjoy. It does not always boost performance in class.

She also highlighted that it demands a lot of parents, not only their time but also of their own educational understanding. This sometimes backfires as the methods of learning in school twenty or thirty years ago are likely not the same as those taught nowadays. This can risk causing further confusion.

BBC Newsround’s own survey of the homework debate and how much homework primary school pupils receive found that parents thought:

Where is the proof?

The same BBC report saw Ellis claim that while teachers setting homework is in theory supposed to better results, there is no proof of this being the case. Rosamund McNeil from the teacher’s organisation NUT highlighted that cases abroad support this. In Finland, pupils are set minimal homework but it remains one of the most educationally successful countries in the world.

The homework debate is not just about students – it’s about teachers too!

Homework is time-consuming. Teachers must plan it and mark it, in addition to preparing their classroom lessons and reporting on pupils’ progress. Time constraints can force teachers to work late into the night at home which opens an entirely new can of worms. Overworked teachers are less effective in class. Perhaps it would be more efficient for schools to ban homework altogether.

The other side of the homework debate: Why our kids need homework

It has long been the view that homework acts as a supplement to what has been taught in class. It is an opportunity for pupils to review areas of work they might not understand, focusing their learning.

Homework for primary school students is a good thing!

Homework can be fun and imaginative, an opportunity for parents to bond with their children over education. Take the classic example of counting peas on the dinner plate to learn multiplication tables. Homework does not always have to be completed in a book or on a worksheet. It can often reflect the creativity of the teacher who can inspire children to take their learnings and apply them to the real world. Pricing a shopping list is an awesome way to practise maths while acquiring life skills!

In May 2021 we asked our social media community for their thoughts on this debate. More than two-thirds agreed that homework should not be banned. 

The UK is falling behind the rest of the world:

Once upon a time the UK may have had the best education system in the world. Now is not that time. Studies suggest that  UK literacy and maths rates are falling  while in other countries they continue to rise.

As a result, many teachers and parents agree that our children require further encouragement. This is not the time to ban homework in the UK. Especially when we take into consideration the months of lost learning caused by the COVID-19 UK lockdown. This is the time to help primary school children catch up, and homework can support the effort.

The homework debate in the context of COVID-19

We touched on this earlier before considering both sides of the argument in the UK homework debate. However, with home learning more popular than ever, is there still a place for homework in UK primary school education?

The homework debate solution: Online tuition

It’s engaging for children; it reflects what they have been learning in class and saves time for both parents and teachers.  Online tuition has soared in popularity through 2020  and 2021, and could be the solution for people on both sides of the homework debate.

Read more :  How online maths tutors are helping KS1 & KS2 pupils succeed.

In the UK there are tons of tuition services helping to provide kids with a competitive edge using an extracurricular push. You can view a list of the top 15 here:  Discover the UK’s best online tutors.

If you have any comments or questions regarding this topic, please feel free to let us know in the comment below or in our Facebook group  UK Primary School Maths – Tutoring & Tips,  we will reply to you as soon as we can.  

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How Think Academy’s Online Maths Courses can Help Your Child Better Prepare KS2 SATs?

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KS1 SATs – How to Prepare Your Little One for Their First Test!

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The Debate on Homework: Efficacy and Alternatives

The ongoing debate about the effectiveness of homework in education has prompted discussions among educators, parents, and students. While homework has been a fixture in traditional education, its value and impact on learning outcomes are subjects of contention. This article delves into the debate on homework, assessing its efficacy and exploring alternative approaches that prioritize meaningful learning experiences.

The Efficacy of Homework: Balancing Benefits and Drawbacks

The pros and cons of homework.

Homework is lauded for its potential benefits but also criticized for potential drawbacks that impact students both academically and emotionally.

Cons of Homework :

• Increased Stress: Excessive homework can lead to stress, anxiety, and student burnout. Academic support agencies featuring UK essay services can quickly relieve the stress and anxiety caused by excessive homework load.
• Reduced Family Time: Heavy homework loads may detract from essential family and leisure time.
• Inequity: Not all students have equal access to resources or conducive study environments at home.

Pros of Homework :

• Practice and Reinforcement: Homework offers opportunities for students to apply classroom learning, reinforcing concepts and skills.
• Time Management: Completing assignments teaches students valuable time management skills and accountability.
• Independent Learning: Homework fosters independent research and problem-solving, encouraging self-directed learning.

Exploring Alternatives: Quality Over Quantity

As the discussion on homework gains momentum, educators and researchers are exploring alternative methods that prioritize meaningful learning experiences.

Project-Based Learning : Engage students in real-world projects that integrate subjects and cultivate critical thinking. Encourage collaboration, research, and hands-on problem-solving. Provide avenues for creativity and exploration.

Flipped Classroom Model : Deliver instructional content outside of class through videos or online resources. Dedicate class time to collaborative activities, discussions, and problem-solving. Allow for more personalized support and immediate feedback.

Integrated Learning Experiences : Embed lessons within real-life contexts, making learning relevant and engaging. Connect classroom content to current events, community issues, or student interests. Promote active participation and critical thinking.

Individualized Learning Plans : Tailor assignments to individual learning styles, paces, and strengths. Set attainable goals focused on understanding rather than completion. Empower students to take charge of their own learning.

The Role of Educators and Parents

Educators and parents play a pivotal role in structuring homework’s purpose and ensuring it aligns with students’ well-being.

Educators clarify assignments, ensure relevance, and offer tailored tasks for diverse learners. They provide timely feedback and balance workloads.

Parents create supportive spaces, clarify doubts, and teach time management. They monitor progress, encourage independence, and communicate with educators.

Together, they shape effective homework experiences, fostering holistic learning, skill development, and well-being.

The discourse on homework revolves around striking a balance between academic rigor and student well-being. While homework offers benefits, considering its potential negative impacts on well-being and engagement is crucial. As education adapts to 21st-century demands, exploring alternatives that emphasize quality becomes paramount.

By incorporating project-based learning, the flipped classroom model, integrated learning experiences, and individualized learning plans, educators can create meaningful learning opportunities catering to diverse needs. As education evolves, it is essential to regularly reassess traditional practices and explore innovative ways to nurture a love for learning while fostering holistic development.

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The homework debate should go beyond good vs bad

I was around 11 when I had to stage an intervention with my father.

Sitting him down, I explained that I loved him very much - he was my dad and nothing would ever change that - but things had reached a crisis point and we needed to address it.

He really needed to stop doing my homework for me.

I’d collected the grades and the merits for the art project on Wassily Kandinsky and the food tech poster on healthy eating, but I had a niggling sensation that homework was meant to be more than an excuse for my dad to show off his (admittedly excellent) PowerPoint skills.

It turns out my preteen brain had unwittingly latched on to something that the Education Endowment Foundation would go on to quantify in 2019: that homework at secondary school is valuable. It can, in fact, lead to an additional five months of progress when compared with no homework being set.

Is that with, or without, parental help? It is impossible to know. And that’s the point with homework: it’s too complex to have a polarised argument over. But that’s what we always end up with.

Halloween is coming up and you only have to ask about homework in some quarters for a very specific bogeyman to be conjured up: a big craft project that involves lots of time, with zero guidance and very little relevance to topics being studied in class - and that is mostly completed not by a child, but by their parents. But how much homework set is actually of that ilk? Very little in primary; I’d wager none at all in secondary.

Ask others and you get a homily on the benefits of working at home - with a full set of 21st-century skills a child can add to their CV. How much homework can honestly meet those expectations?

When we use the tired anecdote of parents having to create a cardboard masterpiece on their children’s behalf, or vague claims of non-academic gains, we risk needlessly polarising the debate. It becomes no homework vs any homework. But just as one painful weekend spent constructing a volcano out of papier-mâché does not mean all homework is bad, the EEF research does not give carte blanche to any homework: bad homework is as ineffective as no homework at all.

And a debate without agreeing an end goal of homework is a complete waste of time. Is it so wrong if a parent takes an interest or lends a hand to their child’s efforts? If direct learning goals - ie, increased performance on a set task - are the only aim, then heavy parental involvement may be inappropriate. But we should ask if this should be the main focus of homework. For example, is it an acceptable aim for homework to increase more general things: self-confidence, agency, family involvement in their child’s education, creativity, physical activity, metacognitive skills?

Wrapped up in this is a thornier issue: is the infringement of school tasks on non-school time the right of a school? We seem preoccupied as to whether homework is useful, not whether it is right that a school dictates a child’s time away the classroom.

These are not easy issues for anyone (let alone parents) to tackle. It is much simpler to create a yes/no argument. But they are issues that we must address because they underpin all other arguments around the subject. In our cover feature this week, Steve Higgins and Lee Elliot Major try to kickstart a more grown-up conversation about homework - one that looks at these very conundrums. It should facilitate a better discussion.

The best homework I had when a student forced me to think creatively, especially when I didn’t know the answer and didn’t have a teacher on hand to guide me. I’d go so far as to say it partially shaped the independent worker I am now - someone who’s able to write whole articles without any sort of help from my dad. Honest.

@Sarah_Cunnane

This article originally appeared in the 25 October 2019 issue under the headline “Fear not the bogeyman - the homework debate is far scarier”

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• New Magazine Experience New Magazine Experience • 18th November 2021

Homework – Top 3 Pros and Cons

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

From dioramas to book reports, from algebraic word problems to research projects, whether students should be given homework, as well as the type and amount of homework, has been debated for over a century. [ 1 ]

While we are unsure who invented homework, we do know that the word “homework” dates back to ancient Rome. Pliny the Younger asked his followers to practice their speeches at home. Memorization exercises as homework continued through the Middle Ages and Enlightenment by monks and other scholars. [ 45 ]

In the 19th century, German students of the Volksschulen or “People’s Schools” were given assignments to complete outside of the school day. This concept of homework quickly spread across Europe and was brought to the United States by Horace Mann , who encountered the idea in Prussia. [ 45 ]

In the early 1900s, progressive education theorists, championed by the magazine Ladies’ Home Journal , decried homework’s negative impact on children’s physical and mental health, leading California to ban homework for students under 15 from 1901 until 1917. In the 1930s, homework was portrayed as child labor, which was newly illegal, but the prevailing argument was that kids needed time to do household chores. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ]

Public opinion swayed again in favor of homework in the 1950s due to concerns about keeping up with the Soviet Union’s technological advances during the Cold War . And, in 1986, the US government included homework as an educational quality boosting tool. [ 3 ] [ 45 ]

A 2014 study found kindergarteners to fifth graders averaged 2.9 hours of homework per week, sixth to eighth graders 3.2 hours per teacher, and ninth to twelfth graders 3.5 hours per teacher. A 2014-2019 study found that teens spent about an hour a day on homework. [ 4 ] [ 44 ]

Beginning in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the very idea of homework as students were schooling remotely and many were doing all school work from home. Washington Post journalist Valerie Strauss asked, “Does homework work when kids are learning all day at home?” While students were mostly back in school buildings in fall 2021, the question remains of how effective homework is as an educational tool. [ 47 ]

Is Homework Beneficial?

Pro 1 Homework improves student achievement. Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicated that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” [ 6 ] Students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework on both standardized tests and grades. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take-home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school. [ 10 ] Read More

Pro 2 Homework helps to reinforce classroom learning, while developing good study habits and life skills. Students typically retain only 50% of the information teachers provide in class, and they need to apply that information in order to truly learn it. Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer, co-founders of Teachers Who Tutor NYC, explained, “at-home assignments help students learn the material taught in class. Students require independent practice to internalize new concepts… [And] these assignments can provide valuable data for teachers about how well students understand the curriculum.” [ 11 ] [ 49 ] Elementary school students who were taught “strategies to organize and complete homework,” such as prioritizing homework activities, collecting study materials, note-taking, and following directions, showed increased grades and more positive comments on report cards. [ 17 ] Research by the City University of New York noted that “students who engage in self-regulatory processes while completing homework,” such as goal-setting, time management, and remaining focused, “are generally more motivated and are higher achievers than those who do not use these processes.” [ 18 ] Homework also helps students develop key skills that they’ll use throughout their lives: accountability, autonomy, discipline, time management, self-direction, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving. Freireich and Platzer noted that “homework helps students acquire the skills needed to plan, organize, and complete their work.” [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 49 ] Read More

Pro 3 Homework allows parents to be involved with children’s learning. Thanks to take-home assignments, parents are able to track what their children are learning at school as well as their academic strengths and weaknesses. [ 12 ] Data from a nationwide sample of elementary school students show that parental involvement in homework can improve class performance, especially among economically disadvantaged African-American and Hispanic students. [ 20 ] Research from Johns Hopkins University found that an interactive homework process known as TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork) improves student achievement: “Students in the TIPS group earned significantly higher report card grades after 18 weeks (1 TIPS assignment per week) than did non-TIPS students.” [ 21 ] Homework can also help clue parents in to the existence of any learning disabilities their children may have, allowing them to get help and adjust learning strategies as needed. Duke University Professor Harris Cooper noted, “Two parents once told me they refused to believe their child had a learning disability until homework revealed it to them.” [ 12 ] Read More

Con 1 Too much homework can be harmful. A poll of California high school students found that 59% thought they had too much homework. 82% of respondents said that they were “often or always stressed by schoolwork.” High-achieving high school students said too much homework leads to sleep deprivation and other health problems such as headaches, exhaustion, weight loss, and stomach problems. [ 24 ] [ 28 ] [ 29 ] Alfie Kohn, an education and parenting expert, said, “Kids should have a chance to just be kids… it’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.” [ 27 ] Emmy Kang, a mental health counselor, explained, “More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies.” [ 48 ] Excessive homework can also lead to cheating: 90% of middle school students and 67% of high school students admit to copying someone else’s homework, and 43% of college students engaged in “unauthorized collaboration” on out-of-class assignments. Even parents take shortcuts on homework: 43% of those surveyed admitted to having completed a child’s assignment for them. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] Read More

Con 2 Homework exacerbates the digital divide or homework gap. Kiara Taylor, financial expert, defined the digital divide as “the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don’t. Though the term now encompasses the technical and financial ability to utilize available technology—along with access (or a lack of access) to the Internet—the gap it refers to is constantly shifting with the development of technology.” For students, this is often called the homework gap. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] 30% (about 15 to 16 million) public school students either did not have an adequate internet connection or an appropriate device, or both, for distance learning. Completing homework for these students is more complicated (having to find a safe place with an internet connection, or borrowing a laptop, for example) or impossible. [ 51 ] A Hispanic Heritage Foundation study found that 96.5% of students across the country needed to use the internet for homework, and nearly half reported they were sometimes unable to complete their homework due to lack of access to the internet or a computer, which often resulted in lower grades. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] One study concluded that homework increases social inequality because it “potentially serves as a mechanism to further advantage those students who already experience some privilege in the school system while further disadvantaging those who may already be in a marginalized position.” [ 39 ] Read More

Con 3 Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We’ve known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that “homework had no association with achievement gains” when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7 ] Fourth grade students who did no homework got roughly the same score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math exam as those who did 30 minutes of homework a night. Students who did 45 minutes or more of homework a night actually did worse. [ 41 ] Temple University professor Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek said that homework is not the most effective tool for young learners to apply new information: “They’re learning way more important skills when they’re not doing their homework.” [ 42 ] In fact, homework may not be helpful at the high school level either. Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, stated, “I interviewed high school teachers who completely stopped giving homework and there was no downside, it was all upside.” He explains, “just because the same kids who get more homework do a little better on tests, doesn’t mean the homework made that happen.” [ 52 ] Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Is homework beneficial? Consider the study data, your personal experience, and other types of information. Explain your answer(s).

2. If homework were banned, what other educational strategies would help students learn classroom material? Explain your answer(s).

3. How has homework been helpful to you personally? How has homework been unhelpful to you personally? Make carefully considered lists for both sides.

Take Action

1. Examine an argument in favor of quality homework assignments from Janine Bempechat.

2. Explore Oxford Learning’s infographic on the effects of homework on students.

3. Consider Joseph Lathan’s argument that homework promotes inequality .

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives .

More School Debate Topics

Should K-12 Students Dissect Animals in Science Classrooms? – Proponents say dissecting real animals is a better learning experience. Opponents say the practice is bad for the environment.

Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? – Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression.

Should Corporal Punishment Be Used in K-12 Schools? – Proponents say corporal punishment is an appropriate discipline. Opponents say it inflicts long-lasting physical and mental harm on students.

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The pros and cons of homework

Should schoolwork be left at the school gate?

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1. Pro: improves academic achievement

2. con: risk of artificial intelligence, 3. pro: other benefits of homework, 4. con: less time with family and friends, 5. pro: parent involvement, 6. con: stress for students and teachers.

Homework should be scrapped to give children more time for “other creative things”, the president of Ireland has said.

UK pupils do more homework than many European countries Irish president Michael D Higgins begins historic UK visit

Speaking to Irish broadcaster RTE, Michael D. Higgins said school work should be “finished at the school” rather than at home, “an utterance likely to be seized upon by children for years to come in classrooms far beyond the shores of the Emerald Isle”, said the Independent .

Here are some of the benefits and some of the negative effects of homework for schoolchildren.

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A 2006 meta-analysis of research by Duke University in North Carolina found that children who have homework perform better academically at school. But it doesn’t benefit all students equally, the research found. The correlation was stronger for older students (12 and over) than younger students.

But the evidence is far from conclusive over whether homework really does increase student achievement. Other studies have found that it has a positive effect only under certain conditions, while others have found negative effects, and some studies suggest homework does not affect student achievement at all.

The arrival of highly sophisticated artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT , could make it easier for students to cheat on their essays or homework – or even force teachers and professors to scrap homework altogether.

ChatGPT has been “trained on a gigantic sample of text from the internet” and can “understand human language, conduct conversations with humans and generate detailed text that many have said is human-like and quite impressive”, said the Daily Mail .

Kevin Bryan, an associate professor of strategic management at the University of Toronto, tweeted that he was “shocked” by the capabilities of ChatGPT after challenging the AI to answer numerous exam questions and found that it gave A-grade answers.

Evidence suggests that homework can bring non-academic benefits, particularly for younger school students. These include “learning the importance of responsibility, managing time, developing study habits, and staying with a task until it is completed”, said Reading Rockets , a national public media literacy initiative in the US.

The British Council agreed that it helps to develop “study habits and independent learning”, as well as helping students to “retain information taught in the classroom” and involving parents in learning.

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp weighed in on the debate recently, urging parents to “enjoy the weekend” with their children, branding homework a “waste of time”.

“Find a book, cuddle up and read it together, or watch Winterwatch, or cook something with kids doing all the weighing and chopping. Then put that in the homework diary and enjoy your weekend with your kids,” she wrote on Twitter .

“There is nothing better for children than spending time with you, talking, doing and learning at the same time,” she said. “Following a recipe is reading, maths, science and fine motor skills in one activity.”

Homework can be a good way for parents to stay up to date with what their child is being taught in class as well as monitor their progress. But the extent to which parental involvement with homework is beneficial for children is still a matter of debate.

According to Reading Rockets, some studies show that homework assignments that require interactions between students and parents are “more likely to be turned in” than assignments that don’t require parental input. But other studies have found that “parent involvement in homework has no impact on student achievement”.

Educators and parents responded to President Higgins’ comments to say homework is a source of stress for all involved.

Replying to a Facebook post by Hull Live , one teacher said it was “a pain sourcing, copying, chasing and marking it”, while other parents said homework placed undue stress on young children. “I think they do enough work in the school hours as it is,” said one parent, while another commented: “Children need to switch off when they get home. No wonder children suffer mental health issues, they are burnt out before they reach secondary school.”

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  Sorcha Bradley is a writer at The Week and a regular on “The Week Unwrapped” podcast. She worked at The Week magazine for a year and a half before taking up her current role with the digital team, where she mostly covers UK current affairs and politics. Before joining The Week, Sorcha worked at slow-news start-up Tortoise Media. She has also written for Sky News, The Sunday Times, the London Evening Standard and Grazia magazine, among other publications. She has a master’s in newspaper journalism from City, University of London, where she specialised in political journalism.

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So they had a debate in the UK: Better or worse than ours? Actually, both

Contenders for britain's top job didn't call each other demented drug fiends. so, hey, at least there's that, by andrew o'hehir.

Things that are a lot like each other: The downbeat moods of the British and American electorates, faced with bitter political division, perceived national crisis and impending national elections that won’t solve any of that.

Things that aren’t like each other at all: The nature — and the duration! — of the election campaigns in the two countries, and the two pairs of major candidates vying to lead the Western world’s most storied democracies. (I could use scare-quotes around that last word, but at least for the moment, and for the sake of argument, I won’t.)

There was a debate on Wednesday evening, and while I have no ability to see the future, I’ll make the bold prediction that it bore little or no resemblance to the one CNN will host in Atlanta on Thursday night between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, people with whom you may be familiar (and of whom, quite likely, you are heartily sick). 

This one was in the English city of Nottingham, between Rishi Sunak, the Conservative Party’s almost-certainly-outgoing prime minister — a definite historical curiosity, as the first nonwhite person to hold that office and quite likely the wealthiest — and Keir Starmer, the anodyne, Clintonesque leader of the opposition Labour Party, who will almost certainly be the prime minister a bit more than a week from now. I know, right? One can only gaze across the pond in wonder and longing at the merciful brevity of a U.K. election campaign, which runs six weeks from start to finish. Does that mean I’m about to tell you that the Starmer-Sunak debate was a model of small-D democratic probity, decency and civility, and that we unwashed, unschooled, gun-crazed ex-colonials still have a lot to learn from Mother England? It does not.

OK, sure, maybe a little: To be fair, Sunak and Starmer did not accuse each other of being radical Marxists or fascists or white supremacists or “groomers,” nor of weaponizing the justice system, suffering from senile dementia or being on drugs. Although the onstage atmosphere in Nottingham was “spiky” and “shouty,” in the words of BBC commentator Laura Kuenssberg, and there’s clearly no love lost between these guys, they did not engage in personal attacks of any kind — unless you count accusing each other of dissembling about their policies and programs, which strikes me as well within accepted boundaries (and, in both cases, clearly true). 

Technically speaking, both British candidates are young enough to be Trump or Biden’s kids (although I don’t believe either of them is). Indeed, Rishi Sunak is 10 years younger than Hunter Biden. As for the drugs, given Starmer’s wooden, mumbling, committedly noncommittal performance, maybe his staffers should have dosed him with some. 

The most striking thing about the debate between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, at least from the point of view of a disgruntled Yank leftist (ahem), was how insignificant their differences appeared to be. 

That brings us, perhaps, to the biggest single difference between these trans-Atlantic scenarios: The outcome of the U.K. general election is seen as a foregone conclusion, after 14 years of largely chaotic and/or catastrophic Tory (i.e., Conservative) rule under five prime ministers — those would be David Cameron, Theresa May, naughty-schoolboy-gone-wrong Boris Johnson , couldn’t-outlast-a-head-of-lettuce Liz Truss and now Sunak — a post-Brexit economic crash made much worse during the pandemic, a migrant crisis on a larger and less controllable scale than anything the U.S. has witnessed, and a general sense of impending social or political collapse. For nearly half that era of Tory dominance, Labour veered sharply left under the leadership of unrepentant Bernie-style socialist Jeremy Corbyn , who was forced to quit after Johnson's massive post-Brexit election victory in 2019 and has since literally been expelled from the party altogether. 

Starmer spoke in bland, lawyerly generalities during Wednesday’s debate because, first of all, that’s who he is and what he does, but also because his only task is to remain standing through next Thursday’s election. (Yes, the British election is happening on the Fourth of July, and yes, many people on both sides of the Atlantic have noted the “ironic” coincidence, except that it’s really not ironic because it doesn’t mean anything.) One major British pollster has calculated the odds of the Tories holding their current parliamentary majority at 1 percent, and London bookmakers seem to think that’s optimistic. Washington Post reporters put down five-pound bets on both parties earlier this week: If Labour wins, their payout will be £5.15. If the Tories pull off a miracle, it’s £255.

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Viewed from a pseudo-neutral perspective and judged purely on performance, Sunak had a strong debate: He was clear, forceful, energetic and relentlessly on-message, repeating over and over that Britons should not “surrender” their independence, their economy, their borders or their sons and daughters to the poorly-defined, tax-and-spend policies of Labour. He sounded a lot like a pre-Trump Republican presidential candidate, which is no accident: Sunak’s closest approximation to a winning strategy is to turn this election into an American-style contest of personalities, given that his opponent is pretty much a stiff. 

If anyone believed the Tories had a hope in hell, Sunak might have given them a shot. In the real world, he’s just hoping to limit the damage: In his closing statement, he actually said, straight into the camera, that he understood why voters didn't much like him or his party. Media pundits and pollsters are currently pondering how large a majority Labour will win in the 650-seat House of Commons, and at this point, anything less than 450 will be viewed as at least a mild disappointment. The Conservatives could fall from their current 365 seats down into double digits, almost certainly their lowest total ever and potentially not much more than Reform UK , the anti-immigrant party led by far-right firebrand (and Trump superfan) Nigel Farage .

So if this near-certain whopping victory by what is still generally considered a center-left party sounds like good news to American liberals burdened by nearly a decade of Trump-induced anxiety, I would like to temper that excitement just a bit. On one hand, the next chapter on the British right will almost certainly involve the ouster of Sunak and other so-called moderates and the final conquest of the Tory party by quasi-Trumpian radicals like Farage. On the other, the most striking thing about the Sunak-Starmer debate, from the point of view of a disgruntled Yank leftist (ahem), was how insignificant their differences appeared to be. 

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Both candidates agreed that uncontrolled immigration across the English Channel needed to be stopped, and all you can say about their policy proposals is that Starmer promises to be more humane than Sunak (who literally wants to ship unauthorized migrants to Rwanda). Both went startlingly deep on J.K. Rowling-style anti-trans “feminism,” arguing for “woman-only spaces” defined by biological sex, while differing on how stringently to enforce such things by law. No one in the BBC spin room after the debate even brought up this question, which seems to have become a widely accepted consensus view. 

Keith Brown of the Scottish National Party described the debate as a “great fraud on the public,” acidly observing that neither Starmer nor Sunak had mentioned Scotland (or Wales or Northern Ireland, the other problem provinces) or had uttered the words “Brexit” or “austerity,” the twin gargoyles that hang over this election. Brown was in a sour mood, since the SNP has been plagued by internal scandal and external crisis and its goal of a fully independent Scotland seems further away than ever, but he got off the best line of the evening: The Tories are going to lose, he said, but conservatism will still win. 

about trans-Atlantic political turmoil

• Boris Johnson can only wish he were Donald Trump: Some comeback dreams don't come true
• Don’t explain. Don’t excuse: Joe Biden’s only debate strategy is to attack Donald Trump
• So what the hell happened to Boris Johnson? Can it happen to Trump too?

Andrew O'Hehir is executive editor of Salon.

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The Great Homework Debate: are you a Too Much or a Not Enough?

Posted by Victoria Bond to the School Guide Blog on 14 June 2013 .

As one UK secondary school is set to ban homework we ask whether work should stop at school

It’s Friday and, for most, it’s the end of the working week. As I write, I can see it’s approaching 3pm and our children will be in the last lesson of the day. Pencil cases will be tantalisingly close to getting zipped up; the school bell set to ring. It's almost time for teachers across the land to utter those three little words:

It's home time.

So why, once home, do our children have to start work again? A new Norfolk free school announced last week that homework could be replaced with extra school study time. Plans would see their 11-18 year old pupils do a 45-hour week at school, staying until 5pm for extra study and then having their evenings free. Its headmistress Claire Heald said in a BBC article that it’s a scheme that has already been adopted successfully at independent schools and proved viable in other parts of Europe.

But would a ban on homework be good news for parents?

A friend of mine has been a secondary school maths teacher for many years. She says you can split parents straight down the middle when it comes to what work they want their children to do at home. 50% think their child gets too much homework and 50% think their child doesn’t get enough.

The first half (the Too Much gang) say that homework puts undue pressure on their child and often on the family too. Parents bemoan having to cajole their children into doing homework – all too often right up against the deadline – or, and we’ve all done it, finishing off their child’s project for them at silly o’clock because it's due in the next day. The other half (the Not Enoughs ) regularly demand that their children have a more rigrous homework life. They want their child to be constantly challenged outside school. That extra bit of practice could be the difference between a B and an A or even A* they say. One of my local schools is notorious for setting masses of homework. “Yes, that’s exactly why I send my son there,” says a neighbour.

No wonder, then, that my friend the maths teacher advocates a two-tiered homework system. A basic piece of homework is set for all children that is manageable and easily linked back to supporting curriculum learning. Everyone is expected to complete this task or at least try to complete the task. Then those who are willing or able or both have the option to do a second or even third piece of homework that may enable them to take their learning to the next level. The latter is entirely optional and no child will be marked down for not giving it a go.

It seems to be a sensible solution but what about those who think that children shouldn’t have any homework at all? Another friend, this one a book publisher and school governor, feels strongly that paid work should stop at work and the same rules should apply to school.

“I consider myself good at what I do and if I was constantly taking work home with me at the end of the day, I would be concerned that I wasn’t doing my job properly,” he said recently. “I work at work; at home I rest and get ready to work again. I worry what message we are giving our children if we tell them that the six or seven hours they spend at school each day isn’t enough.”

Obviously there are always exceptions and, on occasion, the laptop has to get flipped open at home. Likewise at exam time, homework in the form of revision is essential. But there is a short, sharp sprint nature to the exercise rather than an endless homework marathon.

So as the time for the school bell to ring gets closer and teachers begin to stack the homework sheets by the classroom door, do you wish your child could have the weekend off? What about a couple of weeks off or even the rest of term? Or are you glad that this weekend your child will brushing up on some Shakespeare or locking down advanced algebra?

Me? Well I think I need to do a bit more homework on this one.

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Leaders in Their Prime Debate Substance in Detail (No, Not in the U.S.)

The debates between contenders to be U.K. prime minister showed that Britain’s political culture, and the leaders who have emerged from it, are far removed from those across the ocean.

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By Mark Landler

Reporting from London

Forty-eight hours before President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump clashed onstage in Atlanta on Thursday, the leaders of Britain’s two major parties, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, went head-to-head in Nottingham, England.

To say their debates were different doesn’t begin to capture the Atlantic Ocean-sized chasm that separated them.

In content, tone and atmosphere, the British debate showcased two politicians in their prime, sparring over the issues — frequently heated, not without personal jabs, but focused on the policy nuances of taxes, immigration and health care. Neither Mr. Sunak, 44, nor Mr. Starmer, 61, brought up his golf handicap.

Britain and the United States are often viewed as operating under the same political weather system — the conservative turn to Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, the pivot to youth and the center-left with Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, and the anti-establishment, populist backlash that fueled Brexit and Mr. Trump. But this week’s back-to-back encounters showed how sharply these democracies have diverged, at least in this election cycle.

“These are two countries in very different places, with very different views of their place in the world,” said Kim Darroch, who served as Britain’s ambassador to Washington during the Trump administration.

“The tone between Sunak and Starmer was that of two profoundly earnest politicians,” Mr. Darroch continued. “Between Biden and Trump, it was barbed, it was nasty, it was childish, but it was not earnest.”

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UK’s Sunak and Starmer struggle to be heard as a noisy protest mars their final election debate

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, left, take part for the BBC’s Prime Ministerial Debate, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Phil Noble/Pool via AP)

Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, left, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and host Mishal Husain pose ahead of the BBC’s Prime Ministerial Debate, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Phil Noble/Pool via AP)

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during the BBC’s Prime Ministerial Debate, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Phil Noble/Pool via AP)

Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, right, ahead of the BBC’s Prime Ministerial Debate, in Nottingham, England, Wednesday June 26, 2024. (Phil Noble/Pool via AP)

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LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour Party leader Keir Starmer struggled to get their messages across in the first half of their fiery final televised debate of the U.K. election campaign on Wednesday as protesters drowned out their answers.

The two politicians vying to become Britain’s leader after the July 4 election faced off live on the BBC. As the event got underway, indistinguishable but loud shouting could be heard from outside the venue at Nottingham Trent University in central England, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered outside.

Host Mishal Husain acknowledged the distraction, which continued as the two politicians traded barbs about ethics, tax and migration. Protest is a part of Britain’s democracy, she noted.

Neither Starmer or Sunak made any reference to the protest. The ruckus, though it tapered off in the second half of the debate, made for a messy end to a debate series that has seen Starmer, Sunak and other party leaders appeal directly to voters.

Sunak, who has been prime minister since Oct. 2022 but whose Conservative Party is trailing Labour in the polls, was on the offensive during the debate as he sought to turn the political dial.

He accused Starmer of planning big tax rises and of being lax on immigration, claiming “people smugglers are going to need a bigger boat” under a Labour government.

Over 50 countries go to the polls in 2024

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He also asked the Labour leader whether he, if elected, would make a deal with the Taliban in Afghanistan about sending back asylum seekers rejected from the United Kingdom. Sunak’s government has made such an agreement with Albania and has legislated to send some asylum-seekers who reach Britain by boat across the English Channel on a one-way trip to Rwanda , a policy that Starmer said he’ll get rid of if he comes to power.

“It’s completely nonsensical,” Sunak said. “You are taking people for fools.”

Opinion polls have for months been showing that Labour is set to return to power after 14 years and that Sunak’s Conservatives are heading for a historic defeat.

Starmer insisted during the debate that nothing should be taken for granted and that people needed to go out and vote at the election on July 4 if they wanted “change.”

However, both candidates dodged giving a direct response to an audience member who asked whether they were “the best we’ve got to be the next prime minister of our great country.”

Sunak said he understood the frustration that was implicit in the question, given the tough times the country has experienced in the last few years, during the coronavirus pandemic and its aftermath.

Starmer said he was not surprised by the question, “that people feel this way because the country is in such a state.”

Next week British voters will elect lawmakers to fill all 650 seats in the House of Commons, and the leader of the party that can command a majority — either alone or in coalition — will become prime minister. Labour currently has a double-digit lead in opinion polls over the Conservatives, who have been in power for 14 years under five different prime ministers.

Follow the AP’s coverage of global elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/global-elections/

Sunak and Starmer clash in testy final UK TV debate

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• Final debate before July 4 election
• Both launched highly personal attacks
• Snap poll says it was a draw

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Kylie works on the UK Breaking News team, reporting on key developments in political, economic and general news. Previously she was based in Westminster as a UK political correspondent for eight years, a period which included the Scottish independence referendum, Brexit and several general elections. She joined Reuters as a graduate trainee in 2008 and has also covered investment banking.

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico appeared in public on Friday for the first time since a May assassination attempt, railing in a speech against progressive ideologies and backing Hungarian leader Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow.

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Will labour change cannabis policy in the uk.

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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters at a watch party for the results of the 2024 ... [+] General Election in central London, as the party appears on course for a landslide win. Picture date: Friday July 5, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Moore/PA Images via Getty Images)

The Labour Party has secured a majority in the UK’s 2024 general election. With Keir Starmer as the leader, Labour will form the government after 14 years of Conservative rule.

However, like the Conservative governments that preceded him, Starmer is not expected to change the UK’s drug policy or decriminalize cannabis.

Starmer has repeatedly stated he won’t change the UK’s drug policy, mentioning he has “no intention” of altering drug laws if his party wins the next election. Just one week before the vote, in an interview with ITV News , he confirmed that he is not considering decriminalizing cannabis or any other drugs and intends to keep the current laws in place.

In the UK, cannabis is illegal for recreational use and classified as a Class B drug. It was reclassified as a Class C drug with reduced penalties in 2004 but returned to Class B in 2009.

Cannabis stands as the most frequently used illegal substance in the UK, as 7.6% of adults aged 16 to 59 reported using cannabis in the past year, according to the 2023 data from the Office for National Statistics .

However, public opinion in Britain is divided on the legalization of recreational cannabis use, as 38% of respondents are against legalizing cannabis for recreational purposes, while 35% express support for such a move, according to a 2022 survey conducted on 1,500 respondents by the market research and polling firm Redfield & Wilton Strategies .

The concept of decriminalization is central to the public debate on cannabis in the UK.

While drug diversion programs are supported by both Labour and the Conservatives, decriminalization is seen as a contentious issue.

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Drug diversion programs, led by the police, aim to redirect individuals caught with minor offenses, such as possession of illegal drugs for personal use, away from the criminal justice system towards alternative measures. These programs, some experts argue , are effectively similar to decriminalization, even though the UK continues to criminalize drug possession, as being caught with small amounts of cannabis can still cause problems. Disclosing a criminal record can prevent people from traveling to certain countries and restrict their job opportunities.

While both the Labour and Conservatives in the UK oppose the decriminalization of cannabis and support maintaining current drug policies, some members of the Labour Party have attempted to bring the debate on cannabis decriminalization into the public sphere over the years.

For example, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London (Labour), announced plans in 2022 to create a program offering an alternative to arrest for individuals caught with small amounts of cannabis. However, Khan’s initiative faced criticism from the UK government as it would allow low-level cannabis users to avoid prosecution. Even Labour leader Keir Starmer did not support the plan and joined the then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in criticizing it, reaffirming that he was not in favor of changing the law or decriminalization.

The stance on cannabis decriminalization in the UK is quite divided among political parties. The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are the only ones actively pushing for cannabis regulation. However, the Labour and Conservative parties, the main political parties, are reluctant to discuss decriminalization or legalization. Despite this, there are factions within these two parties that are more open to a political debate on this issue.

A different story is for medical cannabis, which was legalized in 2018, marking a significant shift in the UK’s drug policy. Despite this, the industry has faced hurdles that hinder its growth. Although technically available through the National Health Service (NHS), access for patients remains largely dependent on private clinics.

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The first Biden vs Trump presidential debate of 2024: Where to watch and what to expect

US President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump will meet on a debate stage for the first of two televised face-offs as they embark on a tight rematch race to win the White House in November.

It is the first-ever debate between a sitting president and a former one.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the debate taking place on Friday morning in Australia.

When and where is the debate?

The first debate will air in the US at 9pm Eastern Time on Thursday, which is 11am AEST on Friday .

It will be broadcast live on CNN, from a studio in Atlanta, Georgia , but there will be no audience present.

More than four months ahead of the November 5 vote, the CNN debate will be the earliest presidential debate in modern US history.

How can I watch it in Australia?

CNN's debate will be broadcast live on the ABC News Channel from 11am AEST .

Jeremy Fernandez will be joined by US and political experts for special analysis after the debate.

NewsRadio will be streaming the debate live from 11am AEST. Listen via the ABC Listen app .

Why are only Trump and Biden debating?

CNN said only Biden and Trump met its conditions for participating in the debate.

The candidates had to appear on enough state ballots to potentially win the presidency , and receive at least 15 per cent in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr did not make the cut.

What are the rules?

CNN has shared some rules that the 90-minute debate, moderated by veteran CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, is set to follow.

The moderators "will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilised discussion", CNN said. The first debate between Trump and Biden in 2020 was rife with interruptions and attacks.

• Candidates will be given a pen, paper and bottle of water.
• They cannot use props or bring in notes.
• Microphones will be muted except for the candidate whose turn it is to speak.
• Biden will be on the podium on the right side of viewers' screens and Trump on the left, decided with a coin toss.
• The coin toss also decided that Trump will get the last word.
• Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during the two ad breaks.

What is expected to come up?

Strategists say there are risks for both candidates, who are locked in a tight race and share low enthusiasm from voters.

Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, are the oldest candidates ever to seek the presidency and viewers will likely question their cognitive abilities and emotional steadiness.

Trump aides see Biden as prone to verbal slip-ups that could amplify voter concerns about the president's age .

Biden aides think debates could hurt Trump by exposing his volatility and sometimes changing positions on issues , such as abortion.

Biden's campaign is hoping to talk about abortion and Trump's about immigration , but CNN's moderators will decide the questions.

Some topics that are likely to feature in questions include:

• How the candidates would handle challenges posed by persistently high grocery prices
• Migrants on the US-Mexico border
• The ongoing Israel-Gaza and Russia-Ukraine wars

Both candidates have had their share of unfavourable news coverage that could come up during the debate.

For Trump, that includes his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol , efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his conviction on 34 felony counts for involvement in a hush money scheme .

The same goes for the legal woes facing Biden's son, Hunter, who was convicted of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun .

What happened last time?

Then-president Trump and Biden debated twice during the 2020 race.

More than 73 million people tuned in for the first exchange, which devolved into a chaotic shouting match.

For the second debate, moderators said they would mute each candidate's microphone to allow the other to speak without interruption for the first two minutes of each debate segment. The candidates behaved more civilly and the mute button was not a major factor.

A third debate was cancelled after Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and spent three days in a hospital. He declined to participate in a virtual event.

Ahead of the upcoming CNN debate, Trump asked the crowd at an election rally in Philadelphia if he should be "tough and nasty" or "nice and calm" — so what the tone of conversation will be this time around remains to be seen.

"How should I handle him? Should I be tough and nasty and just say, 'You're the worst president in history?' Or should I be nice and calm and let him speak?"

He has thrown some early blows at Biden and CNN, and accused the moderators of being biased against him.

What's next?

The US broadcaster ABC will host a second debate on September 10 , but the network has not yet shared details on where the event will be held.

Traditionally, there are three presidential debates, however no third Trump-Biden match-up has been announced yet.

Vice-President Kamala Harris accepted a CBS News invitation for a vice-presidential debate on either July 23 or August 13, according to a campaign spokesperson.

Trump hasn't named his running mate yet.

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• Donald Trump
• US Elections
• United States
• World Politics