Homework given to children at primary school must be meaningful in order to be effective, a school principal has said.

The Green Party has proposed a phasing out of primary school homework if elected to Government.

In the proposal, Minister Roderic O'Gorman cited research from France which suggests relaxation and play is just as important as homework is for a child's development.

The promise to phase out homework has divided parents and teachers, but research suggests that there is no benefit to homework with the exception of reading and literacy.

On Newstalk Breakfast, school principal and If I were the Minister for Education podcast host Simon Lewis said homework in its current format is "archaic".

Meaningful homework

Mr Lewis was part of a long-term research project which suggests homework is only effective if it is meaningful.

"There's no research out there that suggests that homework at a primary level has any positive impact – except for reading," he said.

The project's outcomes suggest that to support their literacy, parents should ask children questions about what they are reading and what they think might happen next in a book.

Aside from the research into reading, Mr Lewis said other homework "wasn't particularly impactful".

He also said to support a child's learning, any homework given must have "meaningfulness" behind it.

A father helping his son with homework, 28/02/2014, Alamy

Mr Lewis said new technology and apps may help tailor learning support to each individual child.

"We’ve got so many good apps out there and websites that can tailor an entire curriculum for literacy and numeracy in children," he said.

With regards to numeracy, Mr Lewis said it is vital for children to understand the principles of mathematics, instead of just learning by rote.

"There’s no point in sending a kid home who hasn’t a clue what they’re doing and saying ‘learn all those tables off by heart’ without any meaningfulness behind them," he said.

"Yes, it’s good to practice what you’ve learnt in school - if you understand what you’re doing."

Mr Lewis said that times tables become "meaningless" sentences if a child does not fully understand them.

Feature image: A young girl does her homework, 29/04/2014, Alamy.