What are some arguments for and against schools allowing students to have privileges such as video games and free time

Free time in schools The answer to the question that you ask really depends on the age of the student. Younger students need to have free time — recess, as it’s typically called — just to get out that energy. You’ll notice them squirming just before the recess bell sounds, and the difference after just a ½ hour outside can have a profound impact on their concentration. But even during regular class time, you will often find students not on task. Teachers who are in tune with their students won’t fight that. Instead, I’ve seen them give their students a “break” by making them wiggle around, do some jumping jacks, etc. It works, and it increases the attention of students. While older grade students (middle and high-school) have better concentration than those at the primary level, teachers can’t expect consistent, productive work day-in and day-out from a class. Therefore, they will often build in rewards for their students, maybe after a project or unit is completed, or when the class meets a behavior goal. On an individual basis, some students need rewards of free-time on a daily or even class-by-class basis. If that means he/she will work hard to play a video game in the last few minutes of class, so be it. It is better to have a student focused on 55 minutes of a given class for five minutes of free time, rather than be lost to you for the whole hour. Everyone needs a deserved break. The only argument for not giving free time to a student is that it is not deserved.