Recess Breaks In Schools

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SC School Recess Bill in Senate If you were to ask most elementary school students what their favorite parts of the day were, you would certainly hear lunch, recess, and P.E. more than any other subject. However, parents would likely disagree. They may state that students need to learn math, language, or science much more than they need to run around outside; school is for learning! Despite this, most educators know that their students need breaks to learn effectively. But how have these breaks, and especially outdoor recess, been implemented through legislation? The Student Health and Fitness Act of 2005 requires mandatory physical activity for K-5th grade students. This South Carolina law also promotes recess as a strategy schools may use to …show more content…
Inequality alone is a reason to add legal protections for this necessary play time. Bill S.0516 has been introduced by the SC Senate with the goal of amending this Act. The bill proposes a mandatory recess period daily for all 4K-8th grade students. For elementary students, this time period must be 45-60 minutes long, self directed, and outdoors during good weather. For 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, the break period must be 30-45 minutes long, with the same conditions. Finally, it would also decrease the physical activity requirement of the Student Health and Fitness Act of 2005 from 150 minutes per week to 45 minutes per week. This change would be supplemented by the additional physical activity recess would include. This change to the elementary and middle school day would have a large impact on school schedules, so it should not be taken lightly. There is a significant amount of research which concludes that recess time improves focus, learning, and outcomes for students. Recess has been noted to improve peer interactions, cooperation, and communication, increase cognitive development, and provide academic benefits