Longer Breaks, Better Learning

By: Alexsandra Georgieva, Elena Sandeva, Jana Taseva, and Mirjana Gorgieva

Imagine you are sitting at your desk when suddenly the bell rings—it’s lunchtime. Everyone rushes out of their classrooms, eager to get something to eat. By the time you reach the shop, a crowd has already formed. After waiting in line, 10 minutes have passed, leaving you with only 10 minutes to get back to your classroom and eat your food.

Most of the time, you don’t even have enough time to finish eating, and you spend the rest of the school day feeling hungry.

Five-minute breaks between classes is simple not enough for students to transition from one class to the next. Students feel like they’re in a constant race against time that adding stress and anxiety to the school day. In those few minutes, we’re expected to pack our things, speed-walk (or basically run) through crowded hallways, and somehow make it to the next class on time. Sometimes, there isn’t even time for basic things like going to the restroom or grabbing water. When breaks are longer, students can actually slow down, relax, and reset before the next lesson instead of arriving stressed and out of breath. This proves that longer breaks would help students stay calmer, more focused, and ready to learn without feeling like they just finished a marathon between classes.

Some may argue that school breaks should stay short because students might lose focus and it would take time to start learning again after a long break. However, this view is weak because longer breaks actually help students rest and recharge. When students have enough time to relax, they return to class more focused and ready to learn, which improves their concentration and productivity.

Starting schools with longer breaks between classes is beneficial because it allows students to rest and recharge their minds. Studies show that short mental breaks improve concentration, meaning students return to class more focused and ready to learn. For example, when students have enough time to relax, move around, or socialize briefly, they are less likely to feel stressed or overwhelmed during lessons. This evidence proves that longer breaks can improve overall academic performance because students are more attentive, motivated, and better able to retain information.

Longer breaks would benefit the students greatly by improving their focus, attentiveness and concentration levels. It would also boost their ability to retain information. Studies also show that not needing to rush lowers students' anxiety levels .

Therefore, if schools want their students to do better and feel better during the school day, they should implement longer breaks. Not only will it benefit students but teachers too.