Like Simon Cowell, I hate homework and so does my son. It's damaging his mental health

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If by “learning together” the school means that we are both learning that we hate homework, then it’s a pretty good title. Like Simon Cowell, I don’t think homework has much benefit for young children. Cowell said he’d be happy for his five-year-old son Eric to quit education and work for him, and although the rest of us don’t have the cash behind us to make a similar choice, I think many parents would still agree with Cowell’s claim that “a healthy, happy kid is more important than an overeducated, stressed kid.” Compared to some schools, I don’t actually think my son is given that much homework – three or four tasks every half term, plus eight spellings to learn every week – so it shouldn’t feel like an enormous pressure hanging over us. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events I’m sure it is not intentional on the part of my son’s school, or any schools in fact, but weekly reminders that he is not as “good” as the rest of his class are really giving the wrong message, and I do worry about the effect on the mental health of children forced to jump through such hoops when they are bound to fail.