A seemingly new concept of schooling is stretching across America called ‘year round school’. Simply put – year round school keeps children in school throughout the entire year, with multiple breaks between sessions, whereas the traditional school year provides a long summer break between grades. What are the implications on children going through a year round school system rather then the old standby we all grew up with? What are the reasons behind those who would support a year round school?
Year round schooling is actually not a new concept. The system as we know it was designed with America’s farmers in mind. Planting and harvesting was always the busiest time of year and therefore children were needed at home in those months to help out. And while it’s easy enough to heat a building with a fireplace for the cold winters, summer posed a heated problem when air conditioners didn’t exist. In the early 1900s schools began to experiment with a year round curriculum but was met with great parental objections. It has only been in the last 20 years that Americans have started taking to the idea.
The common complaints of a year round curriculum range from family scheduling conflicts to how a child learns. For families with two working parents or a single parent family the subject of child care comes up, when every six weeks they find themselves in the position of having to find two weeks worth of babysitting. Since there is no real summer break, family vacations that often fall in the summer months must be strategically planned, as well as summer camps and enrichment classes that are often taken after school is out. Family visits, summer trips to Grandma’s house and all manner of summer fun have to be re-evaluated. Family members that have their children in a traditional system, while others are in year long will run into constant roadblocks in setting up family gatherings. But does a seemingly small matter of family scheduling out-weigh the possible academic gains that a year round system can provide?
It is thought that frequent breaks from learning will help prevent student burn out. And teachers from a traditional system note that it takes a great deal of time in the beginning of each year to review everything they learned the previous year. The long summer break, without educational stimulation, often causes a loss of retention in what the child has been taught, leading to longer reviews in the fall. With frequent breaks the child doesn’t have time to forget what he’s learned and therefore doesn’t need long reviews at the beginning of each session.
Of course it is a debate so there is also supportive evidence for traditional school systems. Some educators believe that learning loss occurs in the first two weeks after school is out so having frequent two week breaks only increases the chance that the child will not excel. Aside from that it is noted that in some areas gang violence increases due to the large number of latchkey children suddenly left to fend for themselves during the frequent breaks. Aside from the aforementioned family scheduling conflicts, sporting events amongst the schools are affected. Schools in the same district that operate on different schedules cannot participate in sports and extra-curricular activities together.
If you are a parent the most important thing you can do is arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make an informed opinion on how your child’s school should operate. Stay involved in all aspects of your child’s education so you are constantly in the know. Make sure you know about the school system you are entering into if you are in the process of moving to a new town or neighborhood. Parents are the greatest advocates of their child’s welfare and educational well-being. Don’t let someone else decide what is right for your child.
