Soon after the fall semester started, the "reclining" lunch break desks and chairs used by students in Nyingchi No. 2 Primary School became "popular" on the Internet. Many netizens said: Primary schools in Lhasa, Shannan, and Nagqu also need it, and they hope that it will be promoted throughout the district.
So, what is the experience of using "reclining" lunch break desks and chairs? Is there any hope for a district-wide rollout? With these questions, the reporter conducted an interview.
The lunch break desks and chairs are well received
"During the lunch break, I can tilt the back of the chair back, put the foot pedal flat, and the ordinary desk and chair can be transformed into a reclining desk and chair!" Suo Lang Latso, a student from Nyingchi No. 2 Primary School, said that the students especially liked the new set of desks and chairs, which was more comfortable during the lunch break, which could effectively relieve the pressure of learning and improve the efficiency of learning in the afternoon.
"In the new semester, the children used reclining desks and chairs, which was a great surprise." Dolma, a parent, said that she was particularly happy about the school's promotion of lunch break desks and chairs, "If the children rest well at noon, their learning status will improve in the afternoon, which is also very beneficial to the healthy growth of children." ”
In the fall of 2024, 1,000 sets of high-quality lunch break desks and chairs assisted by the 10th batch of Guangdong Province's Tibet Aid Task Force will be officially put into use in Nyingchi No. 2 Primary School. These lunch break desks and chairs are reasonably designed and functional, fully considering the actual needs of students in the plateau area. Desks and chairs can be easily converted into recliner mode, and the materials are made of environmentally friendly and durable materials, which not only ensures the health and safety of students, but also conforms to the concept of sustainable development.
Lei Wanchun, vice principal of Nyingchi No. 2 Primary School, said that Nyingchi No. 2 Primary School is the first school in our district to realize a flat-lying lunch break, and a total of 1,000 students have benefited from the lunch break.
Parents and students want to promote it throughout the district
"Our school has a lunch break, but the students are resting on their desks. Because it is uncomfortable to sleep on the stomach, some students cannot sleep soundly, and some students do not fall asleep easily. Phuntso, a fifth-grade student at Lhasa No. 1 Primary School, said.
"If our school also has this kind of reclining desk and chair, then the nap will be very happy!" Lele (pseudonym), a student at Lhasa Experimental Primary School, said that everyone was particularly envious of the students of Nyingchi No. 2 Primary School.
Seeing that the No. 2 Primary School in Nyingchi City has special lunch break desks and chairs, many parents are not calm. In addition to envy, they said that the primary and secondary schools in Lhasa also need it, and the primary and secondary schools in Nagqu also need it......
Netizen "There are two treasures at home": When will all other primary and secondary schools in Nyingchi City be put into use?
Netizen "Zhao Zhao": It is strongly recommended that the children in the sixth grade promote reclining desks and chairs, the children's learning intensity is high, and they should have a good rest at noon.
Netizen "YY": The children in Lhasa City are envious and say they also need it.
Netizen "The Most Beautiful Four Seasons Flowers": How good it would be that schools in Shannan have such desks and chairs!
Netizen "Ciyang": For the sake of children's physical and mental health, I hope that the whole district can promote it.
Netizen "Light and Elegant": It is recommended to popularize it, and I hope the country will pay attention to it.
Lack of sleep among primary and secondary school students is widespread
Li Yue, a fifth-grade primary school student in Lhasa, said that she finished her homework at about 10 o'clock every night, washed up and went to bed before 11 o'clock, got up at 6:50 the next day, and slept for about 8 hours.
"My brother is in junior high school, and I heard him say that he basically finishes his homework around 11 o'clock every day, and he has to get up at 6:30 the next day." Hao Hao said.
"I wake up early in the morning and am very sleepy at noon. Fortunately, our school has a lunch break, but I slept on my desk, and when I woke up, my neck and arms hurt, and I felt uncomfortable. Li Yue's child said that she heard that the No. 2 Primary School in Nyingchi City has reclining desks and chairs, and she especially hopes that her school can also arrange for students, so that not only the quality of the lunch break is high, but also the spirit can be more concentrated in the afternoon class.
According to the 2022 White Paper on Healthy Sleep in China, the normal sleep time of primary and secondary school students should be 9 to 10 hours, but the actual sleep time of junior high school students is only 7.48 hours on average, and that of primary school students is 7.65 hours.
According to the "Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Education on Further Strengthening the Sleep Management of Primary and Secondary School Students", primary school students should sleep for 10 hours a day and junior high school students should sleep for 9 hours. It can be seen that the lack of sleep time of primary and secondary school students is objective. Therefore, schools should provide students with a better lunch break environment and a more reasonable lunch break time as much as possible to make up for the lack of sleep time at home and alleviate the fatigue caused by students' continuous learning for a long time during the day.
"Sleeping on the stomach" becomes "lying asleep" There is a certain degree of difficulty in promotion
Sleep management and sleep quality for primary and secondary school students have always been highly valued. Whether children can rest at school at noon and how to rest well is one of the most concerned issues for parents. During the visit, this reporter found that some primary and secondary schools in Lhasa were a little nervous about their lunch schedules. From the completion of teaching activities in the morning to the teaching activities in the afternoon, students have to complete many "tasks", including eating lunch, tidying up the classroom after meals, etc., leaving little time for individuals to relax and rest. In addition, due to the limitations of classroom area, facilities and equipment, the number of teachers and students, etc., some students can only lie on their desks for a short rest.
During the two sessions of the National People's Congress in 2023, Zhang Qiongli, a deputy to the National People's Congress and a teacher at Enshi High School in Hubei Province, put forward the "Proposal on Accelerating the Promotion of Primary and Secondary School Students' "Sleeping on Their Stomachs" to "Sleeping Down", which has received widespread attention from all walks of life. In its reply, the Ministry of Education stated that it will continue to guide, encourage and support qualified localities, coordinate existing school-running conditions, facilities and equipment, and create lunch break conditions for students according to local conditions, so as to provide a strong guarantee for the healthy physical and mental development of students.
It is not easy to get students to "sleep on their stomachs" instead of "lying down". First of all, not all schools have spare classrooms, gymnasiums, reading rooms, etc. for students to use in coordination during lunch breaks, and it is common for insufficient space and limited space to be used. Secondly, the issue of funding is also a "roadblock". According to Zhang Qiongli's research, the price of many equipment that can lie down for lunch breaks ranges from five or six hundred yuan to three or four thousand yuan, and a set of lunch break desks and chairs with good quality may cost 2,000 yuan, which is a large expense for the school. It is difficult for schools to make students "sleep on their stomachs" and "lie down" on their own.
In recent years, the Ministry of Education has issued relevant guidance documents, and various localities have also begun to explore and practice the lunch break in school. In June 2023, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Building a High-quality and Balanced Basic Public Education Service System", which clearly proposes that while promoting the standardization of school construction, all regions can support schools to appropriately expand classroom learning and sports venues in light of actual conditions, and provide non-boarding schools with meal and lunch break conditions.
At the beginning of the school year this fall, "reclining" desks and chairs appeared in many schools across the country, including the No. 2 Primary School in Nyingchi City, Tibet. Improving students' sleep quality is a common concern of parents, students and teachers, and the exploration and attempt of this issue deserves more encouragement and advocacy.
Source: China Tibet News Network_Tibet Business Daily