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Year Round School

Do you believe that School should be year round? Many argue the case that having no long breaks promotes learning, enables the parents to keep working, enables kids to finish basic schooling faster and prevents idleness. What is your view?

School Year

I am torn on this issue. I can see the benefits of giving students an extended break, especially over the summer, when they can take advantage of good weather and being outdoors. However, I have seen how the first few weeks after a summer break are basically revision of the last year's work because the kids have forgotten what they learned. Maybe there is an intermediate solution, such as a shorter break, or 2 shorter breaks during the year, so that the train of thought and linearity of education is maintained. I know as a kid I loved having long summer vacations, but sometimes I used to get bored as well, and then there was the pain of trying to remember what I learned last year. Not an easy question!

Year Round School UFO & Writing Art Education Sciences

The difficult part of year-round school that I have seen locally is that there are odd time periods when the kids are out of school. Two weeks here, a week there, 4 or 6 weeks between grade levels... it makes for some odd juggling of time for the parents' vacation schedules, and the "day care" or babysitting issues -- especially for single working parents (or dual working parents). Kids don't actually finish their schooling any quicker, the school year itself is extended. Personally, I prefer the traditional 9 month/3 month program.

Roz

School Year

I can understand why many find the idea of year round school appealing, but as a student I can't bring myself to support it. First of all, the winter and summer breaks give students who work very hard. For some students, like my own little sister, the only way to avoid burnout is to make them take a break.

There is also the financial side to consider; despite having scholarships, grants, etc., many students have to work and save money to aid in continuing their education. I spent my last two years of high school worrying about whether or not I would be able to cover expenses such as books, car payments, clothing, food... The list goes on and on. I worked during the school year, but could get on the schedule for only thirty to thirty-five hours a week at the most. It wasn't until the summer and winter breaks that I could get more hours on the work schedule and get a second job to fill in the time gaps.

To me, the benefits of breaks outweigh the benefits of year round schooling. I may be scholastic advocate, but I just don't see year round school systems as a good idea.

School Year

I don't think having a year round school would work very well. Education is important, but certainly not the most important thing. especially with children, they need to have their vacation time, a year round school would probably be impossible. A vacation can often also enlighten you, give your mind a resting time when it can quietly and peacefully process the information it learned all year long without having to constantly learn new material.

A vacation can also fill you with enthusiasm. Students are often much more lively and enthusiastic right after a break than right before it.

Also, if families want to travel - that is their time. vacations. If there were no other long vacations, students will either go to fewer ones, or will have to be absent for awhile, both not the best outcomes.

Year Round School

When we lived in Utah, our children attended year-around school. It worked quite well, except for the fact that we had 4 children in at once.

The way it worked is that the children would go to school for 12 weeks, then get 6 weeks off. The schedules were staggered, so that there would be two classes attending school, and one off at any one time. With us, that meant that one child at a time was at home with their Mum and the "babies" (2 smaller children, with a significant gap between them and the others). Of course, there was one schedule where two were at home at once, but they got along so well, it was even better that way.

I don't remember that either middle school or high school had this schedule available. But I don't see why this type of schedule couldn't be possible in high school, especially if the classes were set up similar to college courses. Let there be three complete schedules of roughly 4 months each, and require the children to attend at least two of them. Then, if some want to press hard, they could graduate early, while others could have rather long breaks where they could work, etc.

Actually, the school system in England isn't all that different from these ideas. They get two or three 6 week breaks during the year, but no breaks longer than that.

Year School

As I prepare to be a teacher, I talk to many educators at all levels. My problem with year-round school is this: It's no secret that a teacher's salary is not much. Part of the justification for this is that they get three months off in the summer. However, when those three months turn into two weeks here, two weeks there, and maybe four around Christmas, it is impossible to find a second job in those spaces. Secondly, to maintain licensure, a teacher must continually receive more education. Most teachers do this in the summer, because the school year is much to hectic for night classes on top of work. Year-round school is terrible for teachers, and if a district's schedule is undesirable, many of the better teachers go elsewhere. Thus, year-round school hurts the students.

Year School Sciences Education Art Writing & UFO

My nephews in Colorado attend year round. For them, it is a certain number of weeks in school and two off, year round. From an academic stand, I believe studies show this is better for students. However, it is not better for families. While an effort is made to get siblings on the same school rotation, as Nighthawk has already stated, that doesn't always happen. How do families go on vacations when the children don't all share common breaks? It is more difficult for daycare issues for some, but I think studies have shown it works out better in the end. It seems it is easier to fill a two week gap every few months than it is to find daycare for a 12 week (or whatever the summer vacation really is) gap all at once.

As far as teacher's pay. They still get the same number of weeks off, just spread throughout the year. Teachers do get lower pay than a lot of jobs, but in New England, at least, it isn't as low as it used to be and it still is a job with significantly more time off throughout the year than any other job provides. As far as additional study, many people in other professions face the same requirements. They don't get summers off to accomplish it, yet they manage.

I think teacher's pay goes up based upon supply and demand. When teacher's pay was at its lowest, a shortage developed. That caused the pay to rise. In turn, more people elected to get in the profession. It is a relatively low paying job because it is funded via taxes. That isn't going to change. Teachers don't choose the profession because of the pay. In fact, I don't want a teacher in the system for the pay...that is not going to make or create the best teacher available. It has to be because they truly love the job.

Now, having said all that, I think I still prefer the traditional school year, but it is true that the reasons originally for such a school year no longer exist and we probably should examine what is best from an academic standpoint for students. I think that should be the only consideration. This is, of course, just my opinion. I am not a teacher (although I have family members who are). I have considered becoming one because I would love summers off. However, I will not become one any time soon, because I can't afford the pay cut. So, I guess, I am a bit conflicted...