The End of Homework? Challenging the Evidence Behind After-School Rigor.

written by Antonello Barbaro, CEO of H-FARM Education

Let’s be brutally honest: For many primary and lower secondary students, the most stressful time of the day begins not with the school bell, but with the inevitable “homework drag.”

In cultures where education is seen as a constant race, homework is often treated as a sacred ritual—the necessary proof of rigor. Nowhere is this more apparent than in countries like Italy, where OECD data has historically shown students spending a high number of hours per week on assignments, often significantly above the European average. This high-load culture is driven by a profound belief: more rigor equals better results.

But what if that belief is scientifically bankrupt for young students? What if the after-school burden is not building intelligence, but quietly corroding family time, sleep, and the very love of learning?

The Homework Disconnect: What the Science Says

The most comprehensive research on the homework-achievement link, including a major meta-analysis led by Professor Harris Cooper of Duke University, delivers a powerful, non-negotiable conclusion:

• For Primary Students (K-6): The correlation between time spent on homework and academic achievement is negligible or non-existent. Doing more does not necessarily mean scoring higher.
• The Tipping Point: For older students, a positive effect does emerge, but it quickly plateaus. Experts widely suggest that anything over one hour (for middle school) or two hours (for high school) can be counterproductive, leading to diminishing returns and increased stress.

Furthermore, studies from the Stanford University Graduate School of Education , specifically investigating high-achieving communities, found that excessive homework leads to significant negative consequences: increased stress, physical health problems (sleep deprivation, exhaustion), and a lack of balance that hinders the development of other critical life skills.

Two Worlds of After-School Life

This research forces us to confront the contrasting philosophies of education systems worldwide:

The Schools Taking a Stand

The debate is no longer theoretical; schools are actively choosing sides:

• The Advocates for Depth: Many high-performing, innovation-focused schools and districts worldwide have virtually eliminated traditional homework. Schools employing Project-Based Learning (PBL) or the IB framework often assign project work or reading for pleasure rather than rote worksheets, arguing that meaningful learning should not be done in isolation at 9:00 PM.
• The Advocates for Practice: Conversely, many rigorous public and private schools maintain a heavy load, arguing it is essential for repetition and mastery in foundational subjects like mathematics, or for building the time management skills necessary for college. They view homework as a bridge between classroom learning and independent application.

As a system, are we assigning homework based on tradition and a fear of appearing “less rigorous,” or based on proven pedagogical necessity? The science strongly suggests that for young students, the homework we assign is often busywork, a low-value activity that displaces high-value activities (like sleep and family connection).

• To parents: Have you honestly assessed the quality versus the quantity of your child’s homework? Are you sacrificing your child’s well-being for a marginal, unproven academic gain?
• To educators: If the research is clear that primary homework is largely ineffective, why do we continue to assign it? Could the instructional time spent grading ‘busywork’ be better used elsewhere?
• As school leaders: Is the homework policy at your school an evidence-based pedagogical decision, or simply a deeply ingrained cultural habit we are afraid to break?

It is time to replace the arbitrary burden of after-school rigor with policies rooted in scientific evidence and a deep respect for a child’s right to a balanced, happy life.

I found some interesting case studies and leaders that inspired us at H-FARM International School

MARION COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Acton Academy , High Tech High among other innovators

for example

Marion County Public Schools implemented one of the most visible public-sector policy shifts by explicitly eliminating traditional homework for all elementary school students (K-5). This decision, made by Superintendent Heidi Maier, was directly based on academic research, specifically citing the weak correlation between traditional homework and student performance for younger students, favoring reading as the superior alternative. The district’s policy dictates that elementary students must substitute the traditional burden with a mandatory 20 minutes of nightly reading for pleasure. This approach ensures that the time previously dedicated to potentially low-value assignments is now used for an activity proven to boost academic achievement and language development.

Acton Academy operates under an innovative educational model that includes a strict, well-publicized No Homework Policy. The academy views traditional, forced homework as counterproductive, leading to the loss of joy for learning. nbsp; Acton Academy’s replacement structure is holistic: Core Skills Mastery: Reading, writing, and math foundations are achieved during the school day through self-paced, mastery-based learning, often utilizing adaptive programs like Khan Academy. Deep learning and application occur via Quests, which are four-to-six-week series of challenging, hands-on activities centered around real-world challenges and narratives (e.g., the Entrepreneurship Quest, the Coding amp; Robotics Quest). This model effectively transforms after-school effort from mandatory compliance into self-directed passion projects. By focusing on autonomy and the development of executive functioning skills through self-paced goals and time management, Acton Academy prepares students for real-world challenges through authentic creation rather than rote tasks.

High Tech High (HTH), a network of progressive charter schools, implements Project-Based Learning as the core structural element of its curriculum. The organization’s curriculum ensures that students learn content primarily through doing and making real things, meaning that the necessity for traditional, repetitive homework is largely eliminated. Projects are multidisciplinary and focused on authentic outcomes. For example, the Blood Bank Project required students to research physiological concepts and related diseases, culminating in the creation of multimedia art pieces to convey their scientific understanding. The structure of HTH replaces the arbitrary burden of homework with sustained, complex academic work that demands intellectual depth and application.

In our H-FARM International School (H-IS), with campuses in Italy, we offer a crucial case study in implementing innovation within a rigorous, globally recognized framework (the International Baccalaureate) and within a cultural context (Italy) historically known for its high after-school workload.

Our strategy demonstrates how academic depth can be maintained and enhanced by institutionalizing high-value project work and reading as the official replacement for traditional homework. H-FARM’s curriculum is built upon the IB framework (PYP and MYP), which inherently aligns with the anti-busywork movement by prioritizing conceptual understanding, structured inquiry, and transdisciplinary learning.

Our policy clarifies that the shift is not the elimination of rigor, but the redirection of independent learning. We define independent learning as more extended assignments that involve research, field work, and projects. By defining after-school academic engagement this way, we systematically replaces low-value repetition with high-value application, thereby satisfying the demand for academic depth through authenticated work. FOr example in Primary Years Programme (PYP) our learning strategies include: Inquiry, Playful Learning, and Daily Reading For elementary students (PYP 1-5, ages 6-10), the curriculum builds upon a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based, and hands-on approach using Units of Inquiry. The philosophy centers on playful learning, which encourages students to hypothesize, experiment, and collaborate during instructional time. This approach, which fosters ownership and agency in learning, reduces the instructional necessity for rote repetition at home.

Our policy recommends at least 10 minutes of reading, allowing students to choose materials in English, German, or their mother tongue, and provides home readers and library books to support this choice.

During the Middle Years Programme (MYP) we focus also on Extended Assignments and the Personal ProjectIn, structuring independent work around extended application. Teachers assign project work and fieldwork, recognizing that applying knowledge to varied settings requires work outside of class time. The cornerstone of this model is the Personal Project, which students undertake in the final two years of the MYP (MYP 4-5). This is a near year-long, self-directed project involving intensive brainstorming, research, idea development, and ultimate creation. The Personal Project serves as a sophisticated, evidence-based replacement for traditional high school homework. While conventional homework is often justified as necessary for building time management and organizational skills, the complexity and sustained nature of the Personal Project inherently demand the development of these high-level executive functioning skills (research, management, goal setting) within an authentic, consequential framework.

In 2025 we have also launched The Euler Program: Integrating Rigor through Inquiry-Based Projects in STEM representing H-FARM’s commitment to applied inquiry extends into its specialized secondary offerings, which focuses on advanced STEM subjects. Even in rigorous academic areas like Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics, the curriculum emphasizes theoretical concepts through practical and inquiry-based projects. For instance, Physics exploration focuses on robotics, AI-driven modeling, and specialized competitions. This demonstrates that at H-FARM International School we apply the PBL model universally, ensuring that all academic rigor is tied to deep, applied investigation rather than purely theoretical or rote practice.