Should Recess Be Included in a School Day?

There is a growing concern that children in America are falling behind in their education. Some believe the best way to solve this crisis is to cut recess, which would increase the number of hours for instruction during a school year. Many cultures and belief systems hold "hard work" as a virtue. And to some it only seems logical that we should eliminate time that is not spent productively.

But isn't recess a productive activity? Some argue that just as adults need a break in their workday, so do children. Recess is a time to relax, recoup and prepare for the rest of the day. It is an opportunity for children to exercise physically and socialize on their own terms. It also provides children with opportunities to interact with other children of diverse age groups, abilities and cultures. And studies have shown that taking a break is an effective way to help children retain the information they are taught.

Some teachers believe that recess should be eliminated due to safety reasons. More children are hurt during recess than at any other time during a school day. This is partly because of the increased physical activity and negative social behavior such as fighting and bullying. Some schools have replaced recess with physical education or other teacher directed activities to reduce these risks.

Those who say yes to recess in school, remind us that there are alternatives to eliminating recess that can help reduce risks and improve it's productivity. Teachers could reevaluate; the length of recess, when it takes place in the schedule, the amount and quality of supervision during recess, and the time and effort spent to teach conflict resolution to the children. They believe that the benefits of recess outweigh the risks and therefore eliminating it or replacing it with teacher directed activities would be a mistake.

We all know that America faces an epidemic of obesity and it does not just inflict children. Americans are learning at a young age to replace physical activities with ones that require little to no mobility such as TV and video games. We as a country need to be more physically active and I think we should not only keep recess, but also add more opportunities for physical activity in the school day.

In addition to the benefits I have already mentioned, recess provides children with a kind of real-life social experience that helps prepare them for adult life. Taking away recess might mean taking away a large part of what makes school beneficial to the children of America.