Ten minutes between classes is the happiest time for many primary and middle school students, and it is also a good memory for many adults about their childhood. Today, some schools have put on the "hoop curse" for ten minutes between classes. No going out of the classroom, limited activities... The children who should have "moved" were "encircled" in the classroom.
Ten minutes between classes is hard to guarantee. What's the contradiction behind it? What is the reason for the ten minute limit between classes? What problems should be solved to ensure children's ten minute break? In the new edition of "Parameters" produced by China Youth Daily, parents, teachers and experts in the field of education of primary school students shared their views on the ten minutes between classes.
Ten minutes between classes of "disappearing"
Wang Ka, the parent of the first grade students in primary school, observed that some schools currently restrict their children's activities between classes. "During the break, our children are required to stay in the classroom as much as possible, and are not allowed to go to the playground or corridor. If they are found out, they may be criticized or deducted points, but they can read extracurricular books, chat or play chess in the classroom.".
Zhao Ziwei, a primary school physical education teacher, found that students' ten minutes of recess were sometimes occupied by dragging the classroom.
"Except for the big break after lunch, our children may go to the playground, and their activities in the corridor or out of the building for ten minutes during the break will be greatly restricted." Xu Wensong, the parent of the fourth grader of primary school, said frankly that the children did not go out for ten minutes during the break, which made him very worried about his eyesight, "If a child can only go outdoors for lunch or PE class, and stays indoors at other times, I will worry about his physical and mental state".
According to a survey conducted by the Social Survey Center of the China Youth Daily, 56.4% of the parents of primary and secondary school students surveyed felt that their children's ten minute games, social activities, sports and other activities during recess were limited.
"For students, jumping outdoors can relax their mood and vent their bad emotions. At the same time, sports can promote people's better development, which is beneficial to both intellectual development and physical health." Liang Junling, a middle school teacher, believes that ten minutes between classes plays an important role in the growth of students.
Han Zuye, a psychology teacher at Beijing No. 13 Middle School, analyzed the significance of ten minutes between classes for students from the perspective of youth growth. "They can use these ten minutes to chat, interact, play games with classmates, and learn how to get along with others and adjust their emotions in this process. This is also a process of improving social skills. If children do not learn these skills in primary and secondary schools, they will not know how to talk and interact with their peers after high school or college.
According to a survey conducted by the Social Survey Center of China Youth Daily, 86.8% of the parents of primary and secondary school students interviewed believe that ten minutes between classes is very important for the healthy growth of children.
Who "stole" the child's ten minutes between classes
"Some people think that the school is mainly to blame for not allowing children to play during recess. But I know that many school authorities, including teachers, are also 'crying out' to let children play or run during recess. In case of bumps and injuries, the school has to take responsibility." Wang said.
Han Zuye believes that most parents hope their children can have activities and relax during recess, "but some parents may worry that their children will be hurt in the process".
"The school is afraid that students will get hurt, because after all, the children are active, sometimes they can't control themselves, and they may not realize the consequences." Zhao Ziwei believes that the main reason why the school restricts students' ten minute activities between classes is safety.
Xu Wensong noted that some schools have problems such as insufficient space supply and difficult coordination of personnel and time arrangement. She believes that these objective factors will lead to restrictions on students' activities. "In terms of the actual situation of our children, their level is the peak enrollment period. In the city where they live, the school size is relatively small and the space supply is insufficient. In addition, because the current campus is basically a building, let everyone play on the playground within 10 minutes. For teachers and schools, staffing and time scheduling are also unrealistic ".
Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, analyzed the reasons for the "disappearance" of ten minutes between classes from different perspectives. First of all, the boundary of responsibility and right for student safety is vague. There is no clear division of students' safety responsibility among schools, teachers, families and students themselves. The vague boundary leads teachers to assume "unlimited" responsibilities. The "unlimited" responsibilities make teachers put forward "unlimited" requirements, or even "unlimited" restrictions, to students. Secondly, some schools now exceed the appropriate scale, so they bear higher risks. The pressure of such risks is further transformed into restrictions on students and their activities and sports between classes. Thirdly, some schools have a "one size fits all" problem in management. For example, if a student has an accident outside the classroom, all students must be in the classroom. This management mode has caused the school's restrictions on student activities.
How to return ten minutes between classes to children
The Regulations on the Protection of Juvenile Schools adopted by the Ministry of Education in May 2021 clearly requires that schools should not set unnecessary restrictions on students' freedom of speech and behavior such as proper communication, games, and activities outside the classroom during recess and other non teaching hours.
Wang Ka also noticed on the news that the relevant responsible comrades of the Ministry of Education recently said that it was very important and necessary for primary and secondary schools to arrange recess, which would help students adjust their mood, relax their body and mind, strengthen their physique and prevent myopia. The Ministry of Education will further urge local governments and schools to strictly implement relevant national regulations, follow the laws of education and students' physical and mental development, and resolutely correct the practice of simply restricting students' necessary recess and activities on the grounds of "ensuring students' safety".
"I think these measures have been fully implemented. What I expect is that they can be refined and implemented as soon as possible, and it is better to have a regular supervision and inspection mechanism to supervise the implementation," said Wang Ka.
According to a survey conducted by the Social Survey Center of the China Youth Daily, 86.6% of the parents of primary and secondary school students interviewed expect to ensure the implementation of relevant measures for primary and secondary school students' recess activities.
Xu Wensong felt that in the case of insufficient space supply in the school, the school could adapt measures to local conditions, develop some small games and facilities that can allow children to get full exercise in small spaces, so that children can rest and relax.
Han Zuye hopes that relevant laws and regulations can provide support for the school, so that the school can safely arrange students' ten minute activities between classes. At the same time, the school should also strengthen campus safety management, and create a safe and comfortable campus environment for students.
Chu Zhaohui believes that to ensure that primary and secondary school students can have a ten minute break, first of all, we should solve the problem of responsibility and power boundaries between schools and the government, and at the same time clarify the responsibility and power boundaries of schools, society and other aspects, so as to eliminate some problems caused by ambiguous responsibilities. Second, we should strengthen safety education for minors to make children realize that if something goes wrong for their own reasons, they should be responsible for it. When children have this sense of responsibility, they will pay more attention to safety during activities. Third, improve the way to deal with campus safety accidents. After a complete, systematic and in-depth investigation of the accident, let the person responsible for the accident be held accountable, rather than to exempt social attention. Fourth, in the longer term, we should ensure the appropriate scale of schools and work hard on school balance. In a school of moderate scale, the possibility of students' activities crossing and colliding with each other will be greatly reduced.
"If our overall educational values and our understanding of the sports and health values in the growth and development of students are not in place, it is passive to take other measures." Chu Zhaohui pointed out that minors are in a stage of growth and development, and need adequate sports, while paying attention to exchanges between students.
China Youth Daily · China Youth Network reporter Xu Danyang, Baiyang intern Qiu Lan Source: China Youth Daily
