If the public school board’s current review of homework leads to an approach that helps disadvantaged students to get after-school assignments completed, then it’s a worthwhile effort.

If, however, it leads to a lowering of standards, so that all students are on some kind of low-end level playing field, then no one will benefit, least of all students now struggling to complete homework tasks.

In April the board began reviewing its homework policy. The review was, in part, sparked by a University of Toronto study that questioned how much value students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 were getting from homework.

But it was also in response to concerns that homework assignments put some students at a disadvantage because they lacked the resources, including Internet access and parent involvement, the assignments required, and that other students had.

Although the board is on record as saying it won’t do away with homework, it needs to be careful that steps taken fix the problem by targeting the reasons. If some students are at a disadvantage, find ways to resolve that by providing them with the tools and/or time they need to complete assignments.

To accomplish this, educators may need to recognize that deadlines might need a personalized touch to reflect individual student circumstances.

For instance, if a student lives in the city, he or she would have ready access to library services, including computers, whereas a rural-based student would not. This could put the rural student at a disadvantage, due to nothing more than proximity to research options (a library).

One way to fix this is to give the rural student more time to complete the assignment, and therefore more time to access research options.

Don’t, however, simply ‘fix’ the problem by lowering homework standards.

Homework is an important part of education, even for younger students. Having them complete after-school tasks, whatever they might be, helps prepare them for later academic challenges in high school and post-secondary education.

Homework should be meaningful, and also challenging. The board has a splendid opportunity to ensure it’s both for all students.