The problem is that exams are often an extremely poor assessment of actual student learning, since they're such an unnatural format (no checking of oneself, strong time limits, extremely "easy" problems that can be done in those time limits). The other problem is that the only way to actually learn something is often to practice it. Attaching grades to "homework" is a method of forcing students to actually do the practice. Otherwise, there has to be some other reward mechanism, because frankly, its very hard for children to have the self discipline to study on their own.

Typical homework does not enhance learning at all. It's given out because parents think seeing their kids suffering through drills means they're learning.

Who knows? Studies show relatively little influence of homework on achievement. But education studies are as a rule terrible. https://www.almendron.com/tribuna/wp-content/uploads/2016/02...

Retrieval practice and attempting to solve problems before you know the solution to them _does_ improve retention [1]. At least in my high school, those drills definitely exercised these two ideas. In college I copied half my homeworks from answers or exercised the option to make my grade entirely dependent on exams and I definitely retained less information than if I had done the homework.

[1]: https://www.retrievalpractice.org/make-it-stick

That's the real problem with the studies saying homework does nothing. Drill does improve learning! But that's not showing up in these studies for some reason...

drill improve short term memorization! But unless the exam are focused on memorization instead of on understanding and mastery this will not make a significant impact on exams score.

in this case maybe force the student to complete homework during school hours. instead of expecting kid to do it at home.

There are a finite number of school hours! Teachers have to be paid! That being said, America is extremely unusual in the small number of explicit classroom hours students have, and the large amount of homework students are expected to do.

I believe homework are useless. but if you think they are a more effective way of learning then why not replace lecture with exercise?

Or are you simply saying student need to dedicate more hours per day than only school hours to not get behind ?

Students from France are absolutely laughing at this. Wednesdays are half days and the homework load at the lower grade levels is mind boggling.

Students in France go to school 6 days a week and have a longer school year.

The same people who are arguing for "no homework" are also the ones arguing for "no tracking." So, in your hypothetical, this kid who can do algebra at age 5 would fail his math class but also not get placed in an advanced math track doing calculus at age 6 where he/she belongs.

It's a lose-lose.

I never said there should be no tracking. I am just saying if you want to measure my kid skill do it during school hours instead of forcing him to do an enormous amount of useless work outside school hours