Not a new trend - the teacher never checked homework in grades k, 1 and 2 - homework had to be checked by the parent (or not). Homework was graded for "completion" and not accuracy. DS was in an academically rigorous private school and they claimed that the homework time was a "bonding time" for parents and kids so that the parent could get to know what the child was doing at school and have discussions based on them while checking the homework (which I never did)! They had weekly class tests and they graded the students based on those instead of homework.
But, this year (in another school), the teacher goes through the homework in class as part of a group discussion and asks the children to correct their own homework using a red pen. They are still graded for homework completion, but not for accuracy.
