Parents in Florida are outraged after some elementary schools have decided to eliminate recess.
“They have become machines that produce data as opposed to children,” said mother Amy Narvaez. At 23 schools in the district, the children use time that would be for recess to instead study for the standardized tests known as Common Core exams.
Diana Moore, the president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, said the extra learning time is necessary. Moore said since so much money is tied to the scores students get on the tests, along with teachers’ jobs, everyone feels pressured to work harder.
School administrators say they are sympathetic about cutting recess, but they are limited with how much time to get things accomplished during the school day.
Many experts believe recess enhances learning and helps children build social skills. Parents at a school board meeting agreed with this, saying social skills are just as important as studying.