In the Friday issue of La Repubblica on May 8, 2026, Annalisa Cuzzocrea interviewed Francesco Tonucci, a CNR researcher, educator, and creator of the “Children’s City” project. The article begins with a reflection on children’s use of the iPhone, then moves on to address issues related to playtime and, consequently, homework management.
When asked by the journalist how to keep children away from cell phones, Tonucci explained: “…So I proposed a trade: they’d give up their phones if their parents allowed them to go out and play wherever and with whomever they wanted, and if teachers stopped assigning homework in the afternoons, on weekends, and during holidays. This is, rightly, already illegal in many countries.”
The issue of homework bounces around like a ping-pong ball. Everyone knows that the homework load is enormous, and that almost all parents who can afford it hire a (paid) tutor to help their children with their homework in the afternoons. Teachers know that children aren’t independent and are supervised either by their parents or by a private tutor. Furthermore, it’s clear that as they grow, children complete their homework in a matter of minutes, cleverly using artificial intelligence.
Tonucci insists: “Homework is absurd. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Italy has also signed, recognizes children’s right to rest, leisure, and play. No one takes this into account.”
So, why do teachers continue to demand pages and pages of homework from their students?
Perhaps because school time is limited?
Tonucci continues: “If homework is needed because a child didn’t understand the lesson, it means something went wrong in the classroom. And if that’s the case, the teacher must fix it in the classroom. Once home, children need to have other, free experiences, otherwise the damage will be evident in adolescence.”
My reflection develops in continuity with the training we attended last winter in Helsinki. It’s well known that in Northern European schools, homework is not assigned to students. In Finland, I found confirmation that it’s the teachers who do it! This paradox implies that teachers dedicate their time to their own training. A teacher’s professional growth directly impacts the classroom: a teacher who is constantly updated, in tune with the pace of changing generations, is able to adopt a constantly fresh and dynamic approach, suited to their students. School time is sufficient to complete all the activities envisaged by the national curriculum, ensuring that no one is left behind.
I’d like to share a thought with the parents reading this article: it would be appropriate to have specific university programs for teaching. If I decide to become a law teacher, I should pursue a training program that prepares me exclusively for teaching law, without the intention of becoming a lawyer in my spare time. Another consideration concerns targeted training for all teachers, which shouldn’t be limited to simply collecting points to advance in the rankings.
All of us, as professionals, dream of an ideal school, a place where children can be happy and where teachers can do their best, educating future generations with passion and dedication. The real challenge is to turn this dream into reality, creating an educational environment that values both students and educators.
