As a mother to a child who has just started secondary school, I was horrified to find out the pupils only get 25 mins break in the morning & more concerning is they only get 30 minutes for their lunch.

In that 30 minute lunch they have to: 

Queue for lunch (all school years in my sons school)

Eat their lunch

Toilet breaks

If they need a new timetable etc go to office & sort that

Lunch time detention leaves them 10 mins for lunch (I agree with detention for a child's bad behaviour but not when it leaves them 10 mins for lunch)

Detention for being late to class because they were finishing lunch

Implications of a shorter lunch

Not eating

Not socialising which effects a child mental health 

Not being able to do any physical activities 

Can lead to anxiety for some children as they feel isolated

Taken from online sites: 

A study conducted by the University of Exeter and the University of Manchester found that children who had fewer break times were more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. They stated that these children were less likely to develop self-esteem or confidence in their abilities as well as being less likely to feel safe at school. 

 

In 2013, the National Academy of Medicine (then called the Institute of Medicine) showcased in their reportthat physical activity positively affects children’s cognitive development and academic performance. Not having enough time to even run around with friends or go outside due to reduced break times will have an impact in the future even if parents don’t see it now.

 

Students in some schools don’t even have time to eat their lunch properly. Rushing through the food can be really unhealthy. “The link between eating quickly and becoming unhealthy has been known for a while. When you eat quickly, the body doesn’t get a chance to signal to the brain that you are getting full”, according to Dr Luisa Dillner on Guardian.

 

Despite popular belief, rest is important! Research has shown that in general, students who take more frequent break times perform better academically. 

A study done by Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and her colleagues at USC and MIT suggests that during the “default mode” when we let our minds wander, the brain is still highly active. Taking time to rest is essential for developing cognitive abilities like reading comprehension and divergent thinking. “Rest is indeed not idleness, nor is it a wasted opportunity for productivity,”- says Mary Helen Immordino-Yang.

In fact, one study found that students who had shorter breaks did not perform as well as those who had longer ones on tests of reading comprehension and maths skills! The researchers concluded that this was because the shorter break times interfered with learning due to increased stress levels and fatigue.

Help fight for our children of all ages to get the school breaks they deserve!