I don't think they're 'fringe benefits', but I do agree that for the most part, schools are not assigning homework for these reasons. I also absolutely agree th

I don't think they're 'fringe benefits', but I do agree that for the most part, schools are not assigning homework for these reasons. I also absolutely agree that most homework is assigned primarily as 'busy-work', because the teacher feels that 'children must do homework', rather than because they're trying to achieve a specific educational outcome, and this is the problem. Fundamentally, I think it's better to give no homework than bad homework... but better to give good homework than no homework, and setting good homework is much more difficult for the teacher than setting bad homework - so your conclusion that 'homework is net negative' is probably true on average, but is not necessarily true for any individual child, class, or school - especially if they attend an excellent school with well-informed and caring practitioners who use homework thoughtfully as part of their pedagogical methodology. I think we're both arguing two sides of the same coin though, and we're in agreement that the majority of homework as it is set today is not worth the paper it's written on, and although I perhaps wouldn't be quite as emphatic as saying it 'kills childhood', I agree with the overall point that most people's lives would be better if they a) didn't have to do homework if they're still school-age or b) hadn't had to do homework if they are no longer at school.