Who Invented Homework and Why:Purpose & Types

22 Apr 2025 201 Views Share

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As a student, you must have wondered, who was the person who invented the exams, and why did that person do wrong with so many people? The primary purpose of the invention of homework was to help students understand topics better. Homework in the past used to be treated like labour, as in the past, there was much more vital work than at home. But in recent times, homework has become important, like an exam, as it will help you to score good your grades. The main question in this blog is who invented homework and what was the purpose behind inventing it. To find out who the inventor of homework was and what the purpose of homework, you are at the right blo.; All your doubts will be cleared after you read this blog. So read the following section to learn about the inventor of homework.

Who Invented Homework and Why?

In easy language, we can say that Roberto Neviils of Venice, Italy, got the credit for inventing homework in 1095-1905. However, after some inspection, people found out that there are more then one person who invented the homework, so it might look like a challenging point to know the person responsible for the invention of the homework. For instance, the mediaeval monks would work on memorization and practice singing. The ancient philosophers read and developed their teaching outside the classroom. Well, you might think these things don't sound like homework, but in the past, these were the forms of homework. So now let's know the people who invented homework. 

Pliny The Younger

There was a sample of homework paper that appeared in Pliny the Younger's writing, so that means you can trace the term "homework" back to the time of the Romans. Well, the pliny the young was an oratory teacher, and often, he used to tell his students to practise public speaking outside of the class, as it was the most critical skill at that time, and now public speaking is vital for everyone. Pliny used to believe that the repetition and practice of the speech would help the student gain more confidence in their speaking ability. So you can say he might be the one who made homework for his students. But he was not the only one there, there were other people, too. Who gets the credit for inventing homework? To know about them, read the lower section.

Johann Gottlieb Fich

Before the term homework reached the USA, the Germans' new nation-state had been giving homework for years. The roots of homework expanded into ancient times; it wasn't there in Germany till the philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte helped the state develop the people's school. This school made homework mandatory. He used the belief that the state needed to hold power over the people to make a unified Germany. It was his way to assert control over the people; the students who attended his public school needed to complete all the assignments at home in their comfort. This was the reason why people thought he was the one who invented homework.

Horance Mann 

Horace Mann was the one person who spread the idea of homework all over America in the 19th century.  He was the one who brought the term homework to America. Horace Mann, who was an American educational reformer who spent some time in Prussia. In that country, he learned more about Germany's people school system, its form of education and homework practices. So indirectly, he was also inspired by Johann Gottlieb Fichte. This resulted in the widespread use of the term homework in America and became a common factor in student life across the country.

Roberto Nevilis

You know the question is, who is he, and what did he do? If you feel curious about who invented homework and why, you will find his name on top: Roberto Nevilis, a teacher in Venice, Italy.  You might also have a question: did homework used to be a punishment? There is a story about him that he invented homework to punish students who did not demonstrate a good understanding of the lesson taught during the classes. This technique spread in all of Europe before reaching America. But unfortunately, there is a little truth about this; it might be a myth or something his student made up in the past.

Hope you get the answer to the question of the person who invented homework and why. But there might be a question going in your head that in the past there were laws in California to ban homework, and Nevill invented it in 1905; how is that possible? Well, to get your answer, you need to take a deep dive into the ocean history of education. The history is the only answer for you.

History Of Homework

When it comes to the history of homework, just look the number of people we discussed in the above section; there are people who give credit to several. By properly examining the fact that there were several people who helped to bring the idea of homework into Europe and then the United States. The US has a great history of homework, as it has been the past 100 years since Horace Mann introduced it there. But it is not strange that the concept of homework has changed by the time people change. In the past, homework was not even acceptable. Do you know why? Well, to get the answer to that, read the lower section. 

• The Early State of Homework(1900s) 

At the beginning of the century, California became the first state to ban homework. At that time, homework came to the American educational system, and there had been a negative buzz around it. The publisher, like Ladies' Home Journal and The New York Times, published the article on the negative impact of homework on American children's health and well-being. On the other hand, people were against it for some surprising reasons. as they wanted their children back on the farm to help the family in farming and business. This was the reason that the Californian government banned the homework in the state.

• Effect of Child Labor Law 

You know that in other parts of the US around the early 1900s, homework became more common in the US. Do you know in the 1930s, child labour laws were created; they aimed to protect children from being exploited for their labour, and they made sure to enable children to have access to education and schooling. That time was just too right for the homework people.

Well, we have been talking a lot about homework, about its history and about who was the person who invented it. But as a college student, you might face problems with your work or assignment, which might be frustrating, right? In frustration, you might Google, "Can you do my homework?" Well, yes, our experts can do your homework so that you can submit it on time and score well.

• A Shift in Wave 

In the middle of the 1900s century, the US entered a stage of the progressive era in education. It was the result that the company needed to reform the education system to help the students learn. At that time, home becomes part of everyday life for students. However, this time, the teacher made the assignment more personal and tougher. This resulted in all American students needing to write essays in summer vacations and winter breaks, participate in the show and tell and more. These types of assignments exist to this date.

• Homework During Cold War

• The Cold War had a big impact on the education system, as the tension between the two nations increased and that fueled up many aspects of American life and politics. After the nuclear war, the US government realized the importance of science and technology.
• After the war, the govt believed that students had to be well educated to compete with their competition, the USSR education system. This was when homework became formalized among the students and accepted as a fundamental part of the American educational system. 

• Homework in 1980s Nation at Risk 

In the year of 1983, the National Commission on Excellence in Education came out with a report known as A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform, a report about the poor condition of the education system in the US. Still in the Cold War, this motivated the government in the year 1986 to talk about the benefit of homework in the pamphlet called What Works, which highlighted the importance of homework.

So this was the vast history of homework: how it came to the US, how later it got banned, and how the people and government realized the importance of homework. With the name of homework, you must be concerned about your homework, too. You must have had an FCE problem, like plagiarism, which affected your grades. Well, to avoid that, you can seek the help of a free plagiarism checker. 

Purpose Behind The Invention

After knowing the vast history of homework, you must be thinking, "Good homework was important at that time, but what was the main purpose behind the invention of that?" Well, we know you hate homework and why. No, everybody hates it. But the truth is that it serves several vital purposes in your education journey. The homework offers various benefits to the students and is responsible for their overall development. To be sure with these pointers, you can read the next section, as we have explained why homework was invented.

• Reinforcement of Ideas

The main concept of the homework is to take the shared ideas of the teacher which they share in their class let the students practice those ideas and test their knowledge outside of the usual classroom. This helps a student to reinforce what the student has learned in the class and, all being well, should increase their knowledge and understanding of various subjects.

• Practice and practise 

With the heading, you can understand homework helps students to practise more ; the more a student spends time practising on the topic or something like that, the better he gets at it. Homework allows students to practise some techniques that they have been taught in the class and should get better with them.

• Prepare for future

As you practise a lot, you are getting ready for future challenges. The homework will help you to develop skills; through those skills, you will easily tackle all the obstacles and challenges. When you are working on homework, the topic fascinates you, and you take the challenge by yourself. Surely you will develop various expertise that can earn you rewards for your future.

There are some crucial purposes of the homework, which will help you build strong skills, and those skills will help you to tackle all the challenges in the future. This is why people praise the person who created school and homework. 

Different Types of Homework 

Till now, you have learned about the purpose of homework and how it will build your future. But this is not it. As a student, you also need to learn about the types of homework. Every sort of homework has its different role in the life of a student. To know about those types and how they are different from each other, read the lower section.

• Preparation

In preparation, the teacher provides the reading material for the student. This stuff will help you to get prepared in between the classes.

• Integration

In the integration, you must combine the lessons to make a book. You can integrate a subject or two, like business studies, with math to create the plan. This type of method will help you to build a connection between the two disciplines. if you have a problem with your math work, you can seek math homework help from experts.

• Research

It's a type of homework that will help you to develop skills; it will allow you to come across the various exciting things that you can share through the work. I will help you to improve your critical thinking skills and analytical skills.

• Application

In this, you need to find information to get the solution. In this, you need to update all the work you have done in the past and what skills you have learned from them, as it will help you to get a job or admission to your dream college.

Impact Of Homework On Education

In the blog, you get to know about the person who invented homework and how homework has been rooted for centuries. You also get to know about the history and its purpose in the lives of students and also the different types. So now let's talk about the impact of homework on the education quality. So, to see how it has impacted the system, read the lower section.

Positive Impact of Homework

• Assigning homework with due dates helps you to complete your tasks on time and allow you manage your time.
• In school, you might have many distractions; learning all that in one hour is impossible. Therefore, homework allows you to understand the topic properly at home.
• Some homework-like assignments require information and research. Through homework, you can learn about good sources and how to find those sources. 

Negative Impact of Homework

• Sometimes homework can be hectic and require a lot of time, which can reduce your physical activity, as you sit at your desk for the work for the whole day.
• A student may be stuck at a point and could not find a solution; this time they require the help of a teacher. This type of thing mostly happens with underperforming students; this can create a negative impact on them.
• The results of gating are stuck at one point and increase the stress levels or anxiety in you. Too much at home can create mental pressure and prevent them from learning. 

Homework Today, Need Help, Ask Us

After reading this blog, you have been clear with your question: "Who invented school homework?" If you have a confusion, then you need to read this write-up properly. Moving forward, we know that you must have been in a lot of trouble with your homework; that's why you are here to find the culprit of your problem. But you do not need to worry about that; we can assist you with our assignment writing service. We will provide you with the best quality of assignments with proper proofreading without plagiarism. So, seek our help when you're stuck.

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