I agree with your definition of homework, Cindy. I was in a class this week and the teacher said that he did not give additional homework. There was adequate time for most students to get their work done in class. However, we have a system of throwing 25 people in one room to learn, and the only factor that connects them is their age, so no teacher can make an hour-long class work for everyone.

Four to six hours of assigned homework every night is not only too much, it has no positive effect on learning. It also takes away from family, sports and community time. I used to train for two hours after school and still had time to do homework and do community activities. I managed to get to university and pass without having had hundreds of hours of additional homework in high school.

Yes, educating parents is a key step in all of this. This is why we're trying to set up a radio segment on the subject. However, the people who should know about the science behind homework, teachers, have a professional responsibility to get the information out.

A similar situation exists with the curriculum here in NB. The outcomes are based on Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, a model that has NO scientific basis whatsoever.