A state lawmaker wants Pennsylvania school days to include a mandatory recess period.
Democratic Representative Danielle Friel Otten of Chester County says she plans to reintroduce legislation that would give students a 30-minute recess and a 30-minute lunch period each day, to help support students mental and physical health.
She says recess gives kids a necessary break for physical activity, helping their social, and emotional development.
“Recess is an essential part of a student’s school experience that contributes important benefits to a child’s growth and development,” Rep. Otten said in a memo. “Children who participate in recess have improved memory and concentration skills, and those who have at least 15 minutes of recess a day display less disruptive classroom behavior.”
Right now, there is no recess requirement and sometimes recess and lunch periods that are on the schedule are missed for things like detention or to make up missed work.