This week, in a trial, College Street School departed from the traditional one-hour lunch break in favour of a 40-minute morning break (11am-11.40am) and a 35-minute lunch break (1pm-1.35pm).
Principal Gary Tenbeth said each break now started with 10 minutes set aside for pupils to eat, in their classrooms, with their teachers present.
"Having good food helps brain function and aids concentration.
"This is important because younger ones tend to gulp food down quickly so that they can get out to play sooner. Some will even leave good food in their lunchbox uneaten . . .
"This helps us monitor their food intake."
After the 10-minute eating time, the pupils were allowed outside to play.
Mr Tenbeth said the shorter lunch breaks were a trial to see if the children's playground behaviour would become more constructive.
"In the last 15 minutes of an hour-long lunch break, they get a bit scratchy - their behaviour becomes a bit anti-social."
School still started at 8.55am and finished at 3pm, he said.
Several primary schools in Christchurch have shortened their lunch breaks to combat bad behaviour in the playground and have had great success.
Hoon Hay School introduced the change last year and reported the number of playground incidents had fallen 90%.
Green Island School principal and Otago Primary Principals Association president Steve Hayward agreed the move may help some schools, but he was concerned about the lack of break time for teachers.
Like many principals in the region, he believed lunch breaks were important for teachers because it was the time they made calls to parents, did photocopying, held staff meetings, and had their own breaks.
"Pupils should take more responsibility for their own wellbeing."
He suggested initiatives such as Physical Activity Leaders and Safe Kids would be better because it gave older pupils an opportunity to run physical activities for younger children, and act as peer mediators when confrontations occurred.
Mr Tenbeth agreed there were "administration issues" with the move, but staff would have to "get their heads around" the changes.
"School isn't about the teachers - it's about the kids' needs."
There had been no complaints from pupils or teachers, he said.
The school would consult pupils and parents at the end of the year to see if the initiative should be made permanent next year.
