One Casualty of “Reform” is Recess

RALEIGH — The bell has finally rung on recess, or lack thereof, in the public schools in North Carolina. This occurred after the State Board of Education overwhelming adopted a “Healthy Active Children” policy focusing on obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes found in alarming numbers among children across the state. The new directive, mandating students across the state be given enough recess and physical activity to experience positive health benefits, is expected to be fully implemented in the 2006-2007 school year. It may be the cliched “too little too late” for some children whose schools did away with recess in order to teach the core curriculum required by the current test-based system.