Explores how schools can prevent anxiety in students upon their return to school, Julia Knight

As we edge closer to the end of the pandemic, many of us hope that things have changed for the better. For many the pandemic has encouraged us all to revaluate what is important. This has certainly been the case in education. Schools were very quick to adapt to legislation and mandates from the authorities about social distancing but are we ready for the consequences?

Socially distancing and school closures have increased anxiety and mental health concerns in young people; so, what can schools do to mitigate these side effects of the pandemic?

The answer is quite simple. Improve their break times. One aspect of education that has been vastly overlooked in recent times is the school day and the way in which it is organised. Now I’m not talking about flexi hours for students or realising the dreams of teens and having a 10 am start time, but increasing opportunities for play and socialising.

In a study by Princeton University which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers found that more exercise increased calmness and reduced anxiety. This is good news for learners – if anxiety is reduced, learning is likely to be more effective having a school-wide benefit and impact.
Independent schools in the UK have on average around 20% of the school day given to break times compared to 16% in the state sector. This is significant because international schools often model themselves on independent schools and parents expect similar outcomes academically.

Parents can ask questions such as how long is break? Where do the children eat? How much time do they have for playtime? What activities are in place for them to do?

Schools which have longer breaktimes are actually Improving the wellbeing of the children in their care balancing social and emotional well-being with the academics.