Do metro Atlanta students need more recess?

An Atlanta pediatrician and parent has launched a petition drive to get local schools to add more recess. She says some DeKalb and Fulton have shortened recess to only 15 minutes per day. The American Academy of Pediatrics cites 47 research articles that recommend 60 minutes of active unstructured play daily.

Children from Finland have some of the highest scores on international standardized tests, and their schools provide 15 minutes of recess for every hour children are in the classroom.

Should America follow suit?

To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog on MyAJC.com.

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Katrina Roman (left) tells her students whether they are "calor" (warm) or "frio" (cold) during Spanish class at the DeKalb Christian Home Educators co-op in Stone Mountain, while school director Coretta Ponder observes on March 26, 2025. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

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The Midtown Atlanta skyline is shown in the background as an employee works in Cargill's new office, Jan. 16, 2025, in Atlanta.  (Jason Getz/AJC)

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