I believe it is important to understand that homework isn't about learning (in my view) but about teachers being able to say they're achieving SOMEthing. Woe for the days that they actually EDUCATED instead of babysat. And please don't assume all of us Albertans are as redneck as the dad in the story--we're not. Listening to him, he's clearly organised his kids lives to such a degree that there was no room for homework. How about just letting kids be...CHILDREN? Sad that parenting and the "education" system have come to this.

As a teacher of elementary students I believe that homework is necessary, but it shouldn't be excessive. For example, at the primary level, reading every night one-on-one with a parent for 20-25 minutes does help improve reading fluency results. Homework is also a way to close the skills gap between student abilities by providing students with extra practice to keep up with their peers. Finally, homework, aside from the skills and concepts it reinforces, is a way to help students learn responsibility and accountability. I do not believe that homework should comprise "busy work". It should never be a form of punishment, and instructions and expectations should be laid out clearly.

A recent research revealed that 21% to 69% of class time is not quality learning time. At the primary level, if teachers feel homework is so important, they should be assigned and done in class since it should not amount to more than half an hour in one night. Let's just make better use of time in the classroom.

Re: The Palestinian man whose 3 daughters were killed by the Israels, in Gaza, last year.

We should congratulate Marc Kelly for announcing that story.

How come we never herd of that tragedy before? Had it been the reverse,that story would have been on the headlines all over North America, for several years.