Recess In School Case Study

1. The legal issue is whether or not the teachers, the school, and the school district are liable in this case of injury to a student on the playground during recess. Obviously, the student who threw the rock is most to blame for this incident, but since the three teachers were sitting together talking when they are supposed to be supervising and observing, it is likely that they will be found negligent in this case. Whether in the classroom or out of it, teachers "have a legal duty to instruct, supervise, and provide a safe environment for students" (Essex, 185).

2. First, they will need to define the standard of care that the teachers are expected to provide, and show that they had a breach of duty when they brought chairs to the playground to have a conversation during recess. Next, they must show that the teachers had proximate cause to the injury, meaning that their failure to act according to the established standard of care had an impact on the
There appear to be an absence of rules or guidelines for supervising recess in the school. It is reasonable to assume that one teacher cannot effectively supervise more than thirty children outdoors. Therefore, the ratio of teachers to students should be lowered significantly to ensure that there are enough eyes on the students. Second, sitting down for the entire recess period should probably not be allowed, because it will prevent teachers from seeing what is going on. Next, the teachers should not be sitting in one spot, but should be scattered throughout the playground to allow for more visibility. Finally, the school could consider a playground renovation, perhaps getting the community involved. Newer playground designs can actually increase activity and encourage more active play from children (Zimmerman, et al, 2013). These updated playgrounds can even help prevent injury, which with adequate supervision, could make a tremendous difference in this school's guidelines for recess supervision and