Homework is the bane of many students’ lives. Many would rather see it disappear as it takes away precious time that people would rather use for hobbies or family time. “Who invented homework ?” is something a student may have exclaimed at some point. And we understand the frustration.

For all the hate that homework gets, its origin is surprisingly unclear. If you search for “who invented homework?” online, you may see many results. Some claim that a specific person invented it, but these sources may not be very accurate. In this article, however, we will uncover the truth about homework’s origins. We’ll also dive a little bit into the age-old question of whether or not homework is actually effective.

The Origins of Homework Are A Bit Disputed

As mentioned earlier, homework has a bit of a mysterious history. The concept of asking students to do work after school may have been around as long as school has existed. On the other hand, it might not be that old. Its history may even depend on exactly how you define “homework”. What is sure is one thing. Like many things, it’s possible that homework doesn’t have a single inventor. Instead, the concept has many progenitors, some of whom thought of it independently.

Now you may be wondering: don’t some sites claim that homework has a single inventor? Don’t they credit homework to a certain Roberto Nevillis? Well, that’s what we’re going to discuss next.

Roberto Nevillis, the “Inventor” of Homework, May Not Have Actually Existed

If you search for “homework inventor” on Google, you may see several hits for a certain Roberto Nevillis. He was supposedly an Italian teacher, whom many websites claim invented homework. However, if you do some deeper research, you will realize that this information may be inaccurate.

The first warning sign is that the Wikipedia article for homework makes no mention of this Nevillis person. While it’s true that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, it does have standards. Notably, important claims need sources; otherwise, editors will remove them. If he indeed invented homework, surely the article would mention him, with references even. But nope, no mention of him at all.

Another warning sign is that the sources that mention Nevillis even disagree on when he came up with the concept. Some claim he invented it in 1905, which seems really recent. Other sources claim that he instead invented it in 1095. That makes little sense either considering how different education was at the time. Formal education was still a rarity in Europe in that era, especially among the lower classes. Since most lower classes who did receive education got them at home, technically all their studies were homework!

Indeed, if Nevillis did exist, information about his life seems almost non-existent. It’s entirely possible that no such person ever lived. In any case, if anyone did invent homework, it probably wasn’t Nevillis.

Homework Existed As Early As The Roman Empire

In reality, early concepts about “homework” may have already existed for centuries. Of course, this may not necessarily mean the homework we know today. However, this idea still encompasses activities like practicing or studying at home.

According to some writers, Pliny the Younger may have espoused an early form of “homework”. He encouraged students to improve their speaking skills outside formal education centers. For example, if the students were at home, they could hone their skills there. Obviously, speaking is more of physical activity than writing or reading. As such, practicing at home may not exactly be “homework”. Still, this shows that the idea of doing education-related work at home has been around for so long.

Johann Gottlieb Fichte May Have Invented Homework As We Know It

As for the “title” of the true inventor of homework, there are two people who have a good claim. One of them is Johann Gottlieb Fichte. Many historians consider him to be the father of German nationalism. Apart from his political life, he made some contributions to education. And unsurprisingly, these contributions happened because he wanted to promote a united German state.

Fichte’s innovation was Volksschule, a form of compulsory education. The state would support students and provide them with education. In exchange, the state would become part of people’s private lives. Homework began as a way for education to have a place in home affairs. By extension, this also extended the state’s role to the home. His ideas continue to influence German education to this day.