Many states in America are considering year-round education for students. What many don’t know is that year round education would actually be the same 180 day system, just spread out with smaller breaks in between. No two month long summer vacation for students and teachers.
Reasons to like the year-round education system:
1. Ease on working families that have to find alternative education, camps or child care during those months. An argument against that is the state is not a babysitter for working parents, but in order to best develop the minds of the next generation, this is when the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child” comes in.
2. Stimulation year round proves for smarter brain power and form of habits. Students can train themselves to get by till summer where they then tend to forget it all over the long break. Shorter vacations may increase retention rates.
3. Lower levels for boredom and mischief when parents are away at work with no alternative care. This could also decrease juvenile crime rates.
4. Other countries in the world currently use and like this system best.
5. Expanded educational programs will allow for more student enrollment space or lower classroom size and year round jobs since the buildings will now be utilized the full calendar.
Reasons Against:
1. How will this increase the states taxes?
2. Studies are not definitive on whether this system benefits children to learn more or retain information better over time.
3. Its an end to summer camps, youth programs and so on. This also means some college student will have to find a new avenue for summer work and high school students will not be able to work full time during breaks.
4. Many upgrades would need to be made to schools not equip to handle all seasons.
5. Teachers will have to do a review after each shorter break vs. one big one at the beginning of each year.
Arguments for and against this system stem from many different agendas and perspectives. The parent, teachers, children, local employers and tax payers are all involved if the system changes. Its always the hardest to make change in something that has been set that way for years. There is a fear in the risk and in the energy and dollars required to do so.
Related articles on this topic are:CNN.com and the site for The National Association for Year-Round Education