Like it or loathe it – and those two extremes are equally well represented among students, parents, teachers, principals, administrators and policy-makers – homework is sometimes the most visible manifestation of a relationship between a family and the school their children attend.

By bringing school tasks home, students reveal something of their curricular activities to parents, and how well they complete their homework gives teachers some insight into how a family regards educational tasks.

So what are the arguments for and against homework, what are the implications for students’ educational outcomes and how can this issue help to shape positive family-school partnerships?

Researchers from the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO) have recently updated a paper on this topic. Download the PDF