Students are expected to meet high grades, be active in sports, and participate in discussions but we seem to be forgetting one thing.
Today, more studies are being conducted on how the education system in our country can maximize the time they have to impart more knowledge to the students. Aside from refining and raising the standard in education, students are expected to perform but we are forgetting something really important – lunchtime. Lunch break isn’t getting the attention it needs, why do we say so?
Photo by Nicole Honeywill from Pexel
Photo by Nicole Honeywill from Pexel
Lunchtime for students
Lunchtime given to students will depend on the school policy. Some schools only have a fixed 15-minute break and some can have up to 45 minutes of break time. Us adults have at least an hour to eat our lunches, so why not our children?
We all know that kids aren’t really fast eaters, they don’t just eat and drink and go back to their classroom. They have to wait for their turn in the cafeteria and even get distracted by chit chats and friends. Is the given time for students to eat really enough?
Really quick lunch
As the bell rings, students already rush to the cafeteria and fall in line to get their food. Time is already running here; can you imagine if they were only to have 15 minutes to spend?
By the time they get to the table to eat their lunch or snacks, they are only left with around 5 minutes. Children need to have enough time to enjoy the food that they eat.
If we, adults would be given the same amount of time to have our lunch break – can we even survive?
Waste of food and poor nutrition
If you are one of those parents who wakes up early to create healthy and filling lunches for your children, you’d be disappointed to know that they only have enough time to take a bite or two and end up throwing the rest of the food because their lunchtime is over. What a waste!
What happens to children who don’t get eat a full healthy meal every day? Aside from getting hungry, they are deprived of the needed nutrition that will not just support a healthy body but an alert mind as well.
It’s hard to learn and concentrate when you are hungry.
Benefits of extended lunchtime
Allowing the school to extend their lunchtime gives the students more than just added time allowance to eat and enjoy a meal. This also gives the students the needed time to talk and interact with friends.
This important part of lunchtime does not only enhance your child’s social skills but also relieve them of stress.
Children get stressed too especially when there are so many lessons to learn. Lunchtime isn’t just for eating food, it’s the needed break for our children to slow down and relax.
If we care about how the quality of education should be higher, we must also think of the student’s well-being. These children aren’t going to school just so they could feel that they are in a very tight schedule.
A balanced school life definitely includes longer lunchtime and recess or breaks. A well-fed child will not only perform better but will also feel refreshed after a good meal.
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