While I understand some teachers might show more than their share of movies in class, I also can understand kids need some down time. Kids do need a break during the day. I’m more concerned why schools don’t have recess.
Thats the problem with school. Kids are expected to show up too early, and their school day is lengthened beyond reason.
When I went to High School, each class period was about 45 minutes, with five minutes in between periods to give the kids time to go from one classroom to the next. Now, we had math, science, history, and english. Fine. But then we were forced to take Gym (a holdover from the Kennedy administration as I understand it), two elective classes (over the years I took an art class, guitar playing, computer programming, photography, film criticism, etc), a 15 minute homeroom class (in which the teacher just took attendance), a foreign language class, and lunch.
If I had my way, I would have taken just the basics: Science, English, math, and history, and went home. (and would have scheduled my first class sometime later in the day instead of somewhere around 8am). But no, the damn school schedule forced me to get up in an ungodly hour in the morning five days a week and then stay there in the school building much longer than I wanted to or needed to.
Earlier, before High school, when I went to a Yeshiva school, the morning was dedicated to praying and religious studies. Then at noon one hour of lunch, then a half hour each of math, english, history, and science. One lucky kid got excused out of the morning religious instructions and prayers. Had some sort of medical excuse. He showed up after lunch only for the four basic classes in the afternoon. I envied him. Didnt have to wake up at an early hour. Didnt have to show up for class untill the afternoon, and then he had only to stay in school for those couple of hours. Did that for the entire three years I was at that school. I asked him why he couldnt or didnt show up for the morning religious class and prayers. He told me that he couldnt bear to sit still in class all morning long.