I was having a discussion recently with a secondary school pupil about the amount of homework he is given, averaging three hours a night.  The following issues arose in our chat:

For a start, far too much homework is arbitrary, unrelated to the actual curriculum, yet insisted upon by the curriculum as a matter of course.

This boy didn't mind finishing work at home that was left undone in a lesson and could be finished by oneself.  But for five different teachers to set half an hour's homework each day is burdensome and counter-productive.

Not only is homework a chore for most pupils, but also many parents are driven mad trying to assist, as well as having endless arguments over whether the homework has been done or not - not to mention time that could be spent on leisure.

So ingrained is the concept of homework that even boarding schools reserve a time each day for it, ludicrously called 'prep'.

The pupil I was talking with also said that, at a certain age, pupils realise how serious extra work is, but instead of being treated like intelligent people, they are set homework, most of which is redundant and time-wasting.

Homework is yet another invention of the sado-masochistic mind.  School time is usually a big enough bore without extending it beyond the school day into home.

I had a teacher at primary school who would sometimes set 'silly' homework, e.g. "Tonight your homework is to dream about a circus when you're asleep".

When one boy asked: "What if I don't dream about a circus?" , Mr Hills replied: "Well, you better have a good excuse".