"Does it make sense, educationally and developmentally, to eliminate recess for students in elementary school? That question is the subject of debate among educators. What do teachers and parents have to say?"
Ask any elementary school student what is their favorite subject, I think you'll hear one common response...."RECESS." Administrators are starting to consider cutting back on recess time or doing away with it all together. Some cities like Atlanta, have already eliminated or cut back on recess in elementary school. The idea is to free up more time for instructors and to give more time focusing on academics. They believe they need to make extra time somewhere and recess seems to be the best place to trim in administrations eyes. Now days with such high pressure on standards, schools are raising the bar. Some schools have jumped on the trend while others have decided to reverse it and reinstate recess. In Berkley hall in Los Angeles administration has replaced recess with physical education classes. The arguement is that students need a break just like adults need coffee and lunch breaks from work. It is important for students to be able to function in unstructured time where they can make up their own rules. I think that recess is an important part of the day. The kids learn to socialize with one another without any instructions. Another reason recess should not be abandoned because they believe the kids can go play after school is because at school during recess hours there is still some type of supervision over the children to ensure things run smoothly. If recess was cancelled and kids found themselfs not knowing how to socialize as well if an altercation should arise who is there to guide them in the right direction. Recess gives kids some room to learn to socialize and what is acceptable and not acceptable. I feel like recess is a good time for kids to learn how to deal with one another. Also if altercations arise the faculty is there to mediate the situations. The students learn eventually on their own to handle whatever they encounter. This is the first time kids learn to socialize with one another in an organized environment. I think they should absolutly not do away with recess and several administration agree. My final point is i believe that recess is as important to the teachers as it is to the students. Teachers need a break just as much as students. If they did away with recess the stress would have a reaction with both teachers and students. LET THE KIDS PLAY and learn to deal with one another in a structured manner, and let the teachers have their breaks too.