[Bretlei]

My brother is studying to be a teacher (In the UK) and I asked him what his opinion was on homework.

He told me that it's a good way to get students to do some study/open up the text book when they wouldn't have without a punishment if they didn't.

This, in my opinion leads to more stress and more work on those trying hard to study AND do homework. Each subject wants at least 1 hour of your home time and a student can have anywhere from 2-8 subject to study a night.

[dingaling]

I concur with your perspective. If students aren't opening their text-book outside school-hours then that indicates a lack of inspiration being imparted.

I used to sit and read my Ecce Romani! text-books at the weekends because my Latin teacher was such a wonderfully eccentric and inspiring person that I wanted to learn more for myself and to please her. I don't remember her giving us homework other than 'learn the conjugation of this verb'.

I didn't open anything else unless forced to by homework.

[timthorn]

Interesting - my Mum was a Latin teacher and in the end moved away from Ecce Romani to the Cambridge Latin Course so the Classical Civilization element got brought out more.

You weren't in the Berkshire area for school?