Homework- Is it really necessary?

Do we have to have all these problems to do for homework? Why do we have to show our work? My child has had homework in Mathematics ever since I can remember, Ma'am! Why doesnt the student have more homework? Well, is it really necessary is my question? Does it depend on the subject matter? Should Mathematics have homework EVERY single night? Is that really necessary? Some feel that the more the student practices, then the better they become at solving problems. Other teachers feel that parents do the homework so it still does not help the student nor the teacher. Should Language Arts have homework daily? Is there something they should be reading daily? This question has come up repeatedly by teachers, students, parents, etc. Students definitely have strong viewpoints about homework. Can we really come to a definitive answer and truly justify our reasoning! Can we? Yes, Mathematics builds on itself so a student should be working on some type of Mathematics daily. They should definitely be studying their notes every night and solving problems. On the other hand, should the child that does NOT need to do this action daily be penalized for not doing the homework yet he grasps the subject matter? It is evident that the question is intriguing and both sides can be argued. Some are totally AGAINST homework. Others believe hands down students SHOULD be given homework. All these are relevant questions and I want you to talk back to me!