Give Kids a Break: the social and educational significance of peer relations

In many countries there are concerns about the quality of relationships between young people, and a general sense that young people, when away from adult supervision, are a problem in need of control by adults. There are declining opportunities for social contact out of school, and a growth of sedentary, electronic forms of entertainment. In schools there appears to be a negative view of relatively independent peer interaction. There is evidence from the UK, the USA and Australia that breaktimes/recess - perhaps one of the main forums left for relatively unsupervised play and peer interaction - are being cut back. There is a tendency to assume that PE (Physical Education) will provide for activity and exercise needs without considering the possible social value of informal peer contact.
This presentation will set this situation against the value of peer relations to social and academic development. It will show that formally organized peer relations in school, e.g., in the shape of collaboration between pupils in class, can have marked benefits for learning, classroom engagement and sustained interactions. But, more controversially, it will show that despite concerns about the negative side of peer relations (e.g., in terms of bullying and victimization), there is value in seemingly informal peer relations (in and out of school) to social development and even school progress. It will look at recent developmental psychology research on the benefits of, e.g., friendships to school transitions, school belonging and school learning. The talk will express concerns about the lack of understanding of the importance of peer relations and play, not controlled by adults.
The talk will then examine implications for primary education and social policy and ask some difficult questions: How do we reconcile the benefits of relatively unsupervised social time for young people in and out of school, in the context of changing activity patterns and concerns over social and emotional well-being? Can schools allow space and time for informal peer relations and yet still maintain management and control and a focus on learning?