Should students have longer breaks at school?

The school day is usually organised around a simple pattern: students attend a lesson, have a short break, attend another lesson, and continue this cycle until the end of the day. Because this structure is so familiar, people may rarely question whether the length of school breaks is actually suitable for the way students learn. A break may appear to be time when no learning happens, but this assumption is too simple. Students are human beings rather than machines, and concentration cannot remain equally strong for many hours without recovery. During lessons they listen, read, write, calculate, remember information, solve problems, communicate, and often sit in one position for a long time. A break gives the mind an opportunity to change focus, the body an opportunity to move, and students an opportunity to eat, use the bathroom, speak with friends, prepare for the next subject, or simply experience a few minutes without academic demands. …