Many schools began eliminating recess in the late 1990s and early 2000s. According to the National Parent Teacher Association, at least 40 percent of elementary schools in the United States currently do not have recess or have reduced the amount of recess time children get. The reason for this may be due in part to laws like the "No Child Left Behind Act" that allow the closure of schools that do not meet certain academic standards. In order to conform to these standards, many school districts began eliminating recess, in the belief that having more classroom time would help their students score better on tests. Also, due to budget constraints, many schools do not have enough teachers or other staff members to supervise the children during recess.
Eliminating recess may actually be harming schools and children, however. Olga Jarrett, a professor of early childhood education at Georgia State University, says that recess provides a much needed break for children. According to Jarrett, expecting young children to sit in one place for hours without expending their pent-up energy actually decreases their attentiveness and concentration. Studies she conducted on elementary-school aged children showed that the children who had several recess breaks throughout the day fidgeted less, were more focused on school tasks and remembered more of their lessons than children who did not get recess breaks.
Most states currently do not have laws mandating recess in public schools. The decision of whether or not to have recess is often left up to the individual school districts, which is why some schools have it and others don't. Because of this, parents and child welfare experts in Arizona, New Jersey, Texas and other states have lobbied their state legislatures to pass mandatory recess laws. Many states have laws mandating a certain number of hours of physical activity each week, but these requirements are often met by physical education classes rather than recess.
While physical education classes are important, they often do not provide the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by the NASPE. And many children do not get the opportunity to play outside after school, because of neighborhood crime or lack of parental supervision. Most children who are home alone after school spend that time inside sitting in front of the TV or doing homework, instead of playing outside. Many child development experts have linked the rise in childhood obesity to the lack of physical activity during the school day.