part of the problem is that homework is just treated as a given obligation rather than something students should be able to do voluntarily, as-needed. combine this with teacher quotas [students MUST do 10-20 hours of homework a week] you end up with bloat and students being tasked with just as much unneeded busywork as actual crucial practice for the areas they are struggling. this also exacerbates the treadmill effect where students who are struggling are perpetually falling further and further behind under a pile of red marked assignments they simply do not understand. the best model i experienced as a student was where homework (and class for that matter) were treated as entirely opt-in and classrooms served more as a centralized hub for ad-hoc tutoring/study hall. in this model, in person class time primarily served as a resource for unstucking and freed up everyone else to get on with their day. also what no one wants to hear is that good study habits are primarily driven by student investment in what they are learning and said investment is the product of learning things they actually care about.