Maybe a 5 year old boy shouldn’t be asked to sit still in a classroom all day. One of the reasons I’m going to homeschool is that I don’t think a classroom environment is the most conducive to learning.
I had brothers who were like your son. My mom knew that she have to give them more breaks and let them get up and run around the house and hit each other with foam swords and stuff. Eventually they grew up and learned how to sit still and work. Now they’re in college and doing just fine. It just took them longer.
I tend to agree with you - kids need a lot of active time. The good news about his school is that they have short bursts of learning, matched with equal times of physical activity. So, they have it balanced. The girls aren’t crazy about this (they tend to cluster together and talk), but the boys love it. Plus, there’s a long daily recess and PE multiple times a week.
However, it has little impact on my son. He just wiggles and works really slow and sloppy until it’s break time - disrupting the class every chance he gets. This is frustrating because he knows he isn’t supposed to be disrespectful and he has been punished many many many times for it at home. Didn’t help at all. Or, he will start a worksheet and then look around, not finishing it. At home, I can get a little more work out of him - it’s calm and quiet, but not much. I “homeschooled” him this past summer to see how he’d do before kindergarten. The results were mixed at best. There is something else going on with my kid besides being a 5 year old boy. :)