Who invented the homework and why do we still suffer from their creation?

There's actually a common myth that who invented the homework was an Italian teacher named Roberto Nevilis in 1905, who supposedly used it to punish underperforming students. However, historians have debunked this! There's no solid evidence this person even existed.

The real story is that homework has much older roots. The concept of homework emerged gradually in the 19th century, particularly in Germany, as part of their educational philosophy that emphasized rigorous academic study both inside and outside the classroom.

Horace Mann, an American education reformer, visited Prussia (part of modern Germany) in 1843 and brought some of these educational concepts back to America, including the practice of assigning work to be completed at home.

Building on what @Sophia_Frost said, when looking at who invented the homework, we need to consider broader educational movements rather than a single inventor.

In the late 19th century, formal education was becoming standardized, and homework became a regular practice. But interestingly, homework wasn't always popular! In the early 1900s, there was actually an anti-homework movement in the US, with some medical professionals arguing it caused health problems in children.

The popularity of homework has cycled throughout history, often in response to national events. For example, after the launch of Sputnik in 1957, American schools dramatically increased homework to "catch up" to Soviet education.