Should Students Have Another Free Period?

High school is a period of transition. Where students discover more about themselves, their personalities, and most importantly, their passions. In Springfield, high school is when the IGCSE and A Level curriculums are introduced, which are arduous in their own right. They take dedication, hard work, and time to prepare for. Our school provides a selection of subjects in humanities, sciences, and the arts - however, these limited choices do not reflect the entirety of a student’s interests. Hobbies can be taken up after-school, or during weekends, but this free time is often constricted by a student’s responsibilities to do homework, prepare for tests, or conduct projects. Time is limited in the 4 years of these two curricula, which is already primarily taken up by schoolwork itself, which is why adding some leisure time during school hours can relieve this overwhelming pressure.

What is a free period?

Free periods are a set amount of time allotted, during the school day, where students are able to spend their time as they please. They are normally used as a time to revise, prepare for following classes, or to rest between classes.

What are the benefits of a free period?

1. It reduces stress and provides a mental break

Students are often exhausted throughout the day from the classes they are taught, causing an influx of new knowledge that needs to be mastered before their next class. Before recess, students are likely to already be overwhelmed by information overload and fatigued. Fatigue interferes with their ability to stay focused. Therefore their ability to concentrate and retain information will have interference.

Many of these students also suffer from sleep deprivation as extracurriculars are often taken up as after-school activities that add to their workload. Free periods can alleviate this problem as they provide added time to work on homework and study for tests without sacrificing their sleep.

2. Can be used for other interests

School doesn’t accommodate all of a student’s interests, and with a large amount of time consumed by it, there is no room to explore and experiment with them. Having a personal time period allotted to them can be used to expand curiosity on new subjects and topics, or further their knowledge of subjects they are already engrossed in.

Disadvantages of a free period

1. Conflicts with school activities

Although a free period sounds functional and practical, it can become an obstruction to daily school activities. A free period will take time from a regular class, which could reduce a student’s understanding of the subjects they have taken. Syllabuses will have to be crammed into a tighter schedule, making each class session more compact with information, which can add to the load decreased by the addition of a free period.

2. Misuse

Free periods are also likely to be misused by students who are less rigorous in school activities. For example, students may simply roam around school grounds with no regard to becoming a distraction to those who are in session. Students might also use the time to leave school grounds, which is generally not permitted during free periods.

Summary
Introducing a free period can help release tension from a student’s jam-packed schedule, and can allow them personal time to relax and prepare for following classes without using downtime from other classes. However, the potential for malpractice is great and can cause disturbances. Either to currently active classes, or violations to the school’s ethical source of conduct.