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Should children go to school All-year-round?
Jokes, Polls & Anything Else / 10:24 AM - Tuesday February 22, 2011

Should children go to school All-year-round?

Or is summer vacation an important aspect of childhood?

Update: February 22, 2011.
"What teachers want to be in school year-round"??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!... Do you think I want to pay for a 25yr free vacation called a PENSION they get?!?!

- Asked by drunkmonk, A Couch Potato, Male, 29-35

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My best memories of growing up include summer vacation experiences. I don't think they necessarily have to last for 3 months, but a good break is important. Kids (and their parents) need some unstructured down time. Learning doesn't have to completely stop during that time. I always did a lot of reading during the summer. I also took trips with my family, and travel can be a great educational experience. These days, there are so many online classes that kids can take from home too. But time off to relax and play and just be a kid is not wasted time. Plus, a defined break between changing grades, classrooms and teachers provides the opportunity to regroup and then start fresh in the Fall. Kids who may have had negative exeriences at school, either academically or socially, need that. We don't need year round school in order to compete with other countries. We just need better schools, as well as better places for kids to hang out when they're not in school.


- Response by uniquelyme2, A Creative, Female, 46-55, Artist / Musician / Writer

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Are you kidding? Were you ever a kid? We looked FORWARD to having a whole summer to goof off, to ride our bikes, to go to the swimming hole and collect fireflies. We looked forward to camping out in the backyard and going barefoot, building forts and hanging out at the playground....no homework, no getting up on cold mornings. No, they should have a childhood and not have school year round

- Response by englishrose4945, A Life of the Party, Female, 66 or older, Miami, Alternative Medicine

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Vote yes on year round school. Summers off resulted from kids having to do farm work, but they don't do that anymore.

Year round school doesn't have to mean they sit in a class room in the summer. There's plenty for them to play with outside. Indeed, putting them to work on a farm so they can be "closer to their food" may be a good thing. And giving them a week off per month will allow families to take vacations.

- Response by inotnuts, A Father Figure, Male, 36-45, Newark, Retired

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I definitely would vote yes to year 'round school. Studies have shown that after 12 weeks of summer "vacation," the first 4-6 weeks of the new school year is mostly remedial -- kids lose what they've learned previously over that period and take time to refocus their minds on learning again. I like the idea of 10-14 week terms with 2 week breaks continuing throughout the year.

- Response by carinabay, A Cool Mom, Female, 46-55, Lawyer

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I think with the invention of Air conditioning and the small amount of children who are raised on farms now a days that they should go to school in the summer.

- Response by juandontbeg, A Career Man, Male, 36-45, Charlotte, Self-Employed

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When I was in school, it was a crucial part of the curriculum.

- Response by fehkarfight, A Couch Potato, Male, 46-55, Who Cares?

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i think that they should go year round, with several small vacation times. and they can still have their "childhood". i honestly wonder how many children have real vacations anymore "as far as a childhood". our kids have been forced to grow up too soon and we have no one to blame but ourselves.

- Response by imissit, A Sweet Sarah, Female, 66 or older, Who Cares?

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Sure, see how well that works. Over-worked kids are way more likely to harm themselves through illness and self destructive behavior.

Also, what teachers want to be in school all year round?

- Response by A Player, Female, 22-25, Who Cares?

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I think all year school is a good idea .. and it's been proven in different areas of the US that it works very well.

Sure summer vacation is nice to look forward to .. but when kids are home for that long of a stretch, they get bored and into trouble lots of times. Shorter breaks throughout the year would be much better for many reasons.

Long summer vacations started when kids used to have to help on the farms .. but not many people live on farms anymore, so it's really pretty outdated.

Families can still take their vacations ... but I just don't think it's necessary to have so much time off at once anymore.

- Response by mrscleaver16, A Married Girl, Female, 56-65

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I have mixed feelings about it.

The first time that I lived in an area that was CONSIDERING year-round schools was in Montgomery, Alabama and they said - right out there - one of the main reasons they were considering year-round schools was to, "keep the poor (minority) kids off the streets and out of trouble during the summer."
Ummmm....

Until six years ago, my children had summers, "off".
I liked that. We planned our trips and vacations during summer and we had more time to spend together even though I worked full-time.

When we moved to CO, ONE daughter was on a conventional school schedule and the other daughter was on a year-round track schedule IN THE SAME TOWN. It was a pain-in-the-butt.

VERY difficult to schedule trips and vacations when they were BOTH out of school and I think trips and family vacations and time together to play ARE an important part of a child's, "education".

Then, the county school board decided to go to a "modified" schedule for the younger daughter. Still a pain but better but STILL within the country, there were track schools and modified schedules and conventional schedules.

One of my buddies has 3 kids on 3 different schedules in the same town.

I suppose it has to do with how many kids you have on how many different schedules and whether or not you can afford full-time daycare or trips/vacations, etc. but even though my younger daughter is on a modified schedule, she will still be receiving lessons from a tutor (an Educator at her school) this summer in math and French.

I LIKE the idea of kids having the summers off for numerous reasons but what I mostly desire is that the school district CHOOSE ONE schedule for all the kids.

- Response by jenny12, A Career Woman, Female, 46-55, Other Profession

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My children were in literally year round school the whole year from kindergarten to 8th grade and it was consistent. They had a week or two off and days here and there off and if you wanted to take off for a vacation, they would accommodate you. It was a private school and they understood the need for family time. Summer vacation is just so long for the kids and they got bored and I would have to sign them up for camp or classes to keep them busy and we would also go on outings but as they got older they preferred to hang out with friends. Year round school has its benefits to keep the children engaged in hands on experiences and is a benefit for working parents. Ours was a small school so it was good at the time.

- Response by hulagirl55, A Sportif, Female, Who Cares?, Who Cares?

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Year round school is ok. They still get the same time off,it's just spread out. They go for 9 weeks off 3 weeks etc and then they get 5 weeks for summer. Some kids have to go some form of daycare during summer b/c their parents work so they might as well be in school.

- Response by misskitty420, A Cool Mom, Female, 29-35, Student

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I think a 4 week vacation is enough. Many lose a lot of what they learned being out for months. However, with the drop out rates increasing every year. I can see the uprising as more protest going to school all year. And, I think the children would in some act out. As for the teachers, they could do the same. Most jobs only give 2 weeks of vacation. Aside from adjusting, why would they need all of those summer months? I don't really see where it would be a bad thing. Except to those who enjoy months off.

- Response by thelovedovefor1, A Creative, Female, 46-55, Atlanta, Who Cares?

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YES.

I think that "summer vacation" needs to be a thing of the past.

Get them on a 3-on, 1-off schedule so that they get 9 full months a year with shorter vacations and less opportunity to get into trouble. It also allows more kids in the same space when you 'rotate' classrooms. Do things in consideration of "what is best for the students" not "what the teachers' unions want."

I also think it teaches them better discipline than giving them 100 days off in a row.

I think it also makes more economic sense for "families" to be able to vacation throughout the year, so working parents are not all seeking to be "off" in the summer months. It will "level" the costs of hotels and travel throughout the year, and allow more flexibility.

As the husband of a teacher, I'd really, REALLY like to be on an "adult" schedule, were we can go places at times OTHER than during the summer, when all the kids & families are trying to go to the same places.

Finally, let them learn now that "work is year round," whether it's school work, homework or a job. Students in the other nations of the world take few "holidays" than we do, which probably contributes to the ass-kicking we are getting...



- Response by A Career Man, Male, 36-45

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No... Because they will get burned out.. Some of them dont stay in school now..

- Response by womenrule, A Sweet Sarah, Female, 29-35, Who Cares?

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