The original reason for it largely no longer applies(help dad on the farm), however crap loads of industries are build around holidays being at specific times. Changing them would have wide reaching impact. Everybody would eventually adjust but status quo is easier so I doubt it will change.
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Why Summer Vacations Should Be Shorter (The Atlantic)
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liliththepale
Banned
It makes sense that there would be some drop-off, although I was surprised to read about how much class plays into it. That's too bad. But what I'm wondering is if it can actually be improved. The second link suggests that shortening summer vacation would lead to increased fatigue, which in my experience causes me to perform worse. It doesn't seem like there's enough research into summer vacation alternatives to prove a superior option.
Many countries use a school year long schedule with breaks along the way but no 2 month long breaks like our summer vacation. I think there is some merit to this but I would not support a new academic calendar that has students in school longer and would question the motivations for such a change. So many of the issues made apparent by the long summer vacation need to be addressed by systems other than schools.
balladofwindfishes
Member
Would they, though? It could (permanently) devastate the economy of any place that relies on the Summer months for the majority of their economy.
There's an awful lot of "middle of nowhere, but we have a massive amusement park, because we have so much cheap land" towns that popped up because of summer vacation that would basically be crippled by limiting their primary business from 2.5 months to 1 month (or less). Places where 75% of the workforce is either directly employed or indirectly employed by the amusement park.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
It could be interesting to have some sort of half-day "J-term"-like thing in the summer, where you spend a month intensely studying one thing for a few hours a day for a month. You could hire different staff for that, maybe pay local adjunct professors or something. Something multidisciplinary - say, a cooking class that doesn't just teach recipes and techniques, but basic nutrition and budgeting and food's place cross-culturally. Maybe make grading merely participatory, so it doesn't have the stigma of the stress of "real" school but still keeps the kids' minds engaged.
whatsinaname
Member
So kids shouldn't have a long break. Adults get no long vacation and there is high unemployment (which will increase as automation increases).
We should just move to a 4 day week.
We should just move to a 4 day week.
liliththepale
Banned
I think my aggression comes from questioning the integrity of any learning that can be so readily unlearned. I think a lot of what gets asked about on tests is forgotten shortly afterward if it doesn't continue to be used and covered.
But I agree on everything else. Inequality between students is not the school's problem to solve.
Alcotholic
Banned
I think her argument is a fair point. Too much of you assume these people work at home, but many parents can't work home during summer break. So they have to resort to child care of other sorts, but that costs money they may not have.
I word at a job that has summer programs and after school activities. I see all the time some parents want to use us because they don't want their Children around, but other times parents need us because they have to go to work and they don't feel comfortable leaving their Child home alone.
It goes either way really. In order to make ends meet they need their children to be occupied.
I word at a job that has summer programs and after school activities. I see all the time some parents want to use us because they don't want their Children around, but other times parents need us because they have to go to work and they don't feel comfortable leaving their Child home alone.
It goes either way really. In order to make ends meet they need their children to be occupied.
balladofwindfishes
Member
Adults should get a long break.
A 4 day week doesn't really have the same effect of "recharging" someone as a month+ of time off.
liliththepale
Banned
That just offsets the burden to the taxpayer. I mean, I'm all for moving some military funds to education or something like that, but there's no free lunch here. Taking care of kids costs money.
Acerac
Banned
Perhaps we could just distribute the excessive amount of break kids get over the summer throughout the year? That way kids get more breaks and retain more info?
I don't get why this is a really unpopular opinion. It's like people choosing to have Halloween candy for a month instead of non-glutinous portions all year.
Alcotholic
Banned
Regardless of what happens everyone is going to pay for the care of a child. I'm more so stating a reason why there has been an influx in child care programs. A lot of people are criticizing the woman for complaining about not wanting to be around her child when that may not be the reason.
Making school year round lessen the burden on the parents to find alternate care for the child as it often may be time they can afford to take off. As opposed to 12 weeks straight of nothing for the child to do poses the problem of finding care. Also kids get really bored after such a long break.
If you are interested in having learning stick, then you should check out this thread of mine and the book that I am talking about (Shameless self-thread creating promoting, I know)
balladofwindfishes
Member
No it's not. A month off in January in some parts of the country is a month of staying in the house and doing nothing. Literally. You might not even be able to open your door. On a bad year, it might have 2-3 days where you don't even have power!
I agree.
liliththepale
Banned
Really? I feel like most kids don't want break to ever end. That's how it was when I was younger.
But you're right about her intentions. I don't agree with people who think she's just trying to get away from her child.
I definitely am. I'm not in education anymore (tried it for about a year), but I believe the principles of learning are universal. I'll definitely give a look at that.
We're talking about the country as a whole here and yes it would adjust eventually.
unholyrevenger72
Banned
It wouldn't be destroying those months of income it'd just be redistributing them among the year. Instead of a busy season, you'd have a busy week every fourth week, or a busy two weeks every 7th and 8th week.
In high school, I actually remember wishing that the pace that the material in school was taught at could be slowed down, and then they could take away more vacation time. I was a slow learner who got easily stressed out, and a lot of that stress would have went away if they had more time to review the material, or if they taught the class at a slower pace so I could have more time to take more detailed notes.
balladofwindfishes
Member
Unless your park happens to only be open for two months of the year.
Like a water park in upstate New York. Of which there are actually several. Only open from July until Labor Day. Literally 100% of their income comes from Summer Vacation.
I really doubt it would work like that. Not too many people will want to vacation in Northern Minnesota or Upstate New York when its cold and snowy. The whole point of going to these places is to get away from the city, chill on a lake, enjoy nature, etc. Not many people want to do that when the weather sucks.
It will be busy as hell during that break during the late spring to early fall and absolutely dead the rest of the vacation. The people and money that would have gone, but now can't due to it being so insanely busy and packed will spend their money elsewhere - meaning not Northern Minnesota or upstate NY
Alcotholic
Banned
Well... I guess bored is the wrong word. More like antsy. At the beginning of the summer they are rambunctious because it's the start of summer. At the end they seem to be rambunctious because school is starting again soon.
But my summers as a child were occupied by visiting my grandparents. My mom and dad would fly us to visit family for the whole summer every summer till I was old enough to stay at home alone. I don't remember being bored towards the end, but I was certainly feeling ready for school to start again.
RoninChaos
Member
It sounds like the author just wants her kids out of her house. Learn how to parent. Summers are great for kids. I don't want my kid in the year round work grinder that is America too early if I can help it.
I always wonder about people who write this shit. They must have had miserable childhoods. No one should take away summer. School sucks and it's a lot of pressure. Kids deserve breaks because with the way shit is going here, they won't get any time off when they're adults.
I always wonder about people who write this shit. They must have had miserable childhoods. No one should take away summer. School sucks and it's a lot of pressure. Kids deserve breaks because with the way shit is going here, they won't get any time off when they're adults.
Hyperactivity
Banned
maybe make summer shorter, but spread breaks out a little. My school gave 1 week in fall and February and took two off of summer and I have to say I liked it
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Here's a better idea, why don't we just let kids be kids for a change. Let's stop trying to make them into mini adults. They'll spend the rest of their lives working year-round with barely any vacation time. I'm okay letting them have a couple of months off in the summer while in school.
PS it looks like the writer needs a babysitter which is not the main purpose of the education system.
PS it looks like the writer needs a babysitter which is not the main purpose of the education system.
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Adults barely get PTO it seems in this country because if you take off, you're lazy so now we're going to take away our childrens time because I don't want to pay for summer camps?
People are going to forget the shit taught to them in school regardless so that's a lame excuse. We're taught garbage like Pythagorean theorem that has no real world use.
Adults barely get PTO it seems in this country because if you take off, you're lazy so now we're going to take away our childrens time because I don't want to pay for summer camps?
People are going to forget the shit taught to them in school regardless so that's a lame excuse. We're taught garbage like Pythagorean theorem that has no real world use.
What the hell are you talking about?
hendersonhank
Member
What a dumb argument. My brother and I never went to camp or did anything else that cost money over the summer in our entire lives.
Summer is for running around the neighborhood and playing games outside, and playing videogames and watching movies.
Alcotholic
Banned
Look at it this way- Would you leave your 6-9 year old at home alone for 12 weeks while you went to work? Or, would you look to pay for child care of some sort? What if you didn't have the funds to pay for child care for 12 weeks?
Sometimes adults have to depend on the school systems to be around because either they know it's a safe place for their child to be while they are at work or they can't afford for child care for such an extended period of time. Not all parents work at home or are stay-at-home moms/dads. A lot of parents can't afford to take time off, but it's cheaper to spend a few hundred a week to send then to a camp so they can focus on supporting the family for a while.
School isnt a daycare and shouldnt be treated as such. We sholdnt have year round school just so that parents have someplace to put their kids while they work. Both kids and teachers need a break for multiple reasons.
Now, I am totally fine with implementing free daycare for kids under a certain age and have government funded summer programs (fun programs), but that should not be associated with school. Not only will that simply increase expenses, but you do not want students to associate school and daycare together, because they will make that connection, and it will impact learning and school achievement.
Children are not supposed to be punished because of this. That's the time when they can explore stuff what they like. Just because you don't have time for your kids, doesn't mean you are gonna restrict their holiday time.
our school was like this - i think it was partially due to overcrowding. one teacher would basically have to rotate to classrooms that weren't being used. i forgot what the tradeoff was, but as a teacher you would need to have all your things in one of four rooms because you'd be teaching in all of them, and as a student, your classroom would change every month as other teachers/groups came back from vacation.
gotta say that having a full month off for december or april or august was fucking awesome though. both my parents were teachers in this system, so our vacations meant we could take time off and get back home and still have a week buffer on either side to chill. i really missed that once i went to middle school and we only had two weeks off in the winter and one week off in the spring.
Alcotholic
Banned
Elementary school is child care. Like I said before some parents depend on it, because it's a safe place for their child to be occupied while they are at work. As children grow up, it's less day care and more school, because the kids have learned more responsibility and some independence. Parents grow confidence in their child being able to take care of themselves.
The families with a stay-at-home parent shouldn't treat it as a day care during the summer- they often send their children off to summer camps to get rid of them. But for the families with full time working parents trying to support the family, they rely on schools to be around.
I'm not saying to increase the number of days children are in school. I'm saying schools should be year round with breaks more spread out. It's easier on everyone.
As a side note:
I have no kids- I'm only 23, but I sympathize with the parents who both (or single parent who) have jobs they can't afford to take time off from.
AnathemicOne
Banned
As a biased-as-fuck college student I say, fuck that shit.
Alcotholic
Banned
Good point, which makes me want to clarify my arguments a bit more. I'm only arguing for the sake of younger children who parents want to be in a safe place while they are at work. I don't give a fuck for middle school kids who should be old enough to fend for themselves and high school kids who should spend the summer trying to get a job or doing whatever.
No no no. If anything, make our summers longer (please).
I may have a bit bias considering I'm a HS student right now.
YES! My school starts at 7:30, and I'm a night owl :/. Also, a three day weekend would certainly be nice...
Lord_Byron28
Member
I thought about this and while it would cause dramatic far reaching economic shifts. I feel that once adjusted it could provide a healthier economy, if done the correct way. I think three 6 week breaks in the year, one from thanksgiving to new years, another from mid march to end of April, and the last one end of July to Labor Day. I think having more long breaks would be more beneficial for the economy as well as for students and teachers.
Laieon
Member
My cousin's school district was kind of odd. They would go for 9 weeks, then get 3 weeks off (those numbers might be a little off, but it was something along those lines). Rinse and repeat. They still had the usual Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, etc. At the end of the school year, their breaks came out to be the same as a normal school district, but instead of one long summer vacation, they had those days spread through the year. I always thought it was a pretty cool system.
Even as a kid I usually looked forward to going back to school by the end of the summer.
Even as a kid I usually looked forward to going back to school by the end of the summer.
cutting summer break in half or remove on third and then spread the remaining parts seems appealing to me.
And definitely also give adults better vacation rights, without knowing the exact numbers I have the impression Americans who can get a week vacation a year are considered lucky. If the goal of vacation is to reduce stress some researchers suggests that you should at least have 3 continues weeks off work.
And definitely also give adults better vacation rights, without knowing the exact numbers I have the impression Americans who can get a week vacation a year are considered lucky. If the goal of vacation is to reduce stress some researchers suggests that you should at least have 3 continues weeks off work.
Sounds like a parent that loves being away from the kids and freaked out at the thought of having to spend all day with them or help them learn anything.
As a parent that hasn't yet experienced the joys of sending their kids to school where they can disappear for hours at a time and be taken care of for free.... I understand, brother. I understand
As a parent that hasn't yet experienced the joys of sending their kids to school where they can disappear for hours at a time and be taken care of for free.... I understand, brother. I understand
The US school holiday system always fascinated me as a kid going to school here in Australia.
We go to school from the beginning of Feb to about Easter and then have 1 or 2 weeks off, then go back to about the beginning of July (from memory) and then have another 1 or 2 week break. Go back to school until the end of September for another 1 or 2 week break, then go back until a week or so before Christmas.
The new school year starts again at the end of January.
So the longest break is about 6 weeks over summer.
School goes from 9am to 3pm - give or take 10 minutes
We go to school from the beginning of Feb to about Easter and then have 1 or 2 weeks off, then go back to about the beginning of July (from memory) and then have another 1 or 2 week break. Go back to school until the end of September for another 1 or 2 week break, then go back until a week or so before Christmas.
The new school year starts again at the end of January.
So the longest break is about 6 weeks over summer.
School goes from 9am to 3pm - give or take 10 minutes
OuterLimits
Gold Member
Sounds like fun for kids and parents. When it is warm, the kids are stuck going to school and families can't enjoy the nice weather as much or long vacations. When it is cold, the kids are stuck inside growing bored and the parents quickly become insane.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
We must take away all vestiges of fun when growing up. Children must become learning automatons who have nothing better to do than go to school all year and then day care on the one month vacations.
Liberty4all
Banned
I'm 39. I treasure my memories of summer vacation. It's time for kids to spend time with their fsmlies.
Stallion Dan
Member
In UK we have 3 parts to the school year.
Sept - Dec
Jan - April
April - July.
Between each is a 2 week break.
During each a 1 week break.
Between late July and September is a 6 week break.
So 15 weeks per year with no school.
Just because do not want a 3 month break doesn't mean need go to school constantly.
Sept - Dec
Jan - April
April - July.
Between each is a 2 week break.
During each a 1 week break.
Between late July and September is a 6 week break.
So 15 weeks per year with no school.
Just because do not want a 3 month break doesn't mean need go to school constantly.
3 month Summer break? What is this madness?
In germany we have:
Winterbreak in january or february, depends on the state, for 2 weeks
Easterbreak 1,5 weeks
Pentecost 1 week
Summerbreak 6 weeks from June to September, WHEN depends on the state (so that not all states have summerbreak on the same schedule and overcrowd the holiday places and the roads.
Fall 1 Week
Christmas/New Year 2 weeks.
And some 5 days or so that the school can use to bridge days between single holidays. So if our Day of unification falls on a thursday, they would use 1 of those days to bridge the Friday.
In germany we have:
Winterbreak in january or february, depends on the state, for 2 weeks
Easterbreak 1,5 weeks
Pentecost 1 week
Summerbreak 6 weeks from June to September, WHEN depends on the state (so that not all states have summerbreak on the same schedule and overcrowd the holiday places and the roads.
Fall 1 Week
Christmas/New Year 2 weeks.
And some 5 days or so that the school can use to bridge days between single holidays. So if our Day of unification falls on a thursday, they would use 1 of those days to bridge the Friday.
Pizza Booty
Banned
of all the things wrong with our school system, this person goes after summer vacation length?
how about we make the other 180 days actually effective?
how about we make the other 180 days actually effective?
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