Banning homework has become a trend in schools

For some kids, school work is actually done when the last bell rings at the end of the day.

According to AP, a growing number of elementary schools and other individual teachers have banned homework so kids can have more free time to play, spend time with their families and sleep.

Steven Geis, president of the National Elementary School Principals' Association, told AP that there's been pushback from parents in recent years from parents who say their kids' time is monopolized by homework.

He says students at North Trail Elementary in Farmington, Minnesota, where he is principal, do "engaging homework."

Teachers everywhere are revising their policies to be as effective as possible.

At the Orchard school, an elementary school in South Burlington, Vermont, Principal Mark Trifili told AP he's seen a serious spike in anxiety among students recently.

They opted to ban homework this school year based in part on the book "The Homework Myth."

"They're just kids. They're pretty young and they just put in a full day's shift at work and so we just don't believe in adding more to their day. We also feel that we are squashing their other passions and interest in learning," Trifilio told AP.

Alfie Kohn, the author of the book, told AP that homework is all pain and no gain.

"The disadvantages of homework are clear to everyone: exhaustion, frustration, loss of time to pursue other interests and often diminution of interest in learning," he said.

Kohn added that homework might be the greatest extinguisher of curiosity ever invented."Homework may be the greatest extinguisher of curiosity ever invented."

Harris Cooper, a professor at Duke University who has been studying the effects of homework for 30 years, disagrees.

He thinks all kids should be doing homework, but the type of homework can differ depending on level of development.

According to AP, his research found that homework is much more effective for middle and high school students than it is for elementary-age kids.

"Homework is like medicine. If you take too little, it does nothing. If you take too much, it can kill you," Cooper told AP. "You've got to get the dose right, and if you do, it can do wonders."

He said it teaches kids to learn outside the classroom, which then turns them into lifelong learners while improving independence and time management.

Cooper added that a lot of the backlash against homework comes from the fact teachers simply assign to much.

Now it's up to teachers to strike a balance between pushing their students to learn outside the classroom and giving them a chance to pursue other activities.

See photos from another school that banned homework: