Obama proposes longer school day, shorter summer breaks

[Alysser]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/09/27/obama-proposes-longer-school-day-shorter-summer-vacation/?test=latestnews?test=latestnews

What's your opinon on it?

I just saw this article, and I think he's absolutely insane. 3 hours?? and a shorter summer break? I would be at school from 8:00AM -6 PM :eek: How can anyone even think of that. School is so stressful for me, I am bad at math and I have AP classes. I get homework alot, and I cannot even believe someone would suggest such a ridiculious idea. It would only stress kids out more, not help them. They'd have no free time for after school activities, relaxing, and doing homework. I'm a junior, so I know I'd be out before they'd do this but I cannot imagine the amount of stress younger students will have. I already told my mom if they do this, I'm getting homeschooled. I hate school as it is, I can't even stay 1 more minute then I have to in school, but 3 hours?? Summer is the only way I'd stay sane.

Imagine all the other problems this will lead to, higher electricity bills for school, paying teacher salaries, tighter budgets and more tax money needed means high taxes. I don't see how he thinks this will improve those idiotic standardized test scores we're forced to take (thanks bush). Just from my personal experience (dealing with both me and my friends) adding more hours will be a bad idea. It would add even more stress, and most kids WILL not be able to focus on anything at all for that long - I know I couldn't. Not to mention the # of absences and drop out rates will only increase. Yeah, Obama brilliant idea.

Sorry lol this just has me in a bit of a rage. These radical ideologies are why I am in Independent.

[sparks19]

Yeah I think that's crazy. That's a ten hour school day... most adults don't work a 10 hour day. And I think you just get to a point where your brain needs a rest from taking in all the new info you are handed each day.

So school would get out at 6 pm... if the kids take a bus home that can be a half an hour ride depending where you live from the school... so they would get home about 6:30 or so... have to eat dinner right away and then do homework and by the time they are done that it would be time for bed pretty much so you could get some rest.

I don't think that's going to help kids at all. not to mention the teachers... are they going to get a substantial raise to cover that time and if they also have to come in on weekends so the kids can have a place to go... they have to work 7 days a week?

Highschoolers might be able to handle the extra time... but 1st 2nd and 3rd graders? that's way too long of a day and too much time away from their parents I think.

[Alysser]

Highschoolers might be able to handle the extra time... but 1st 2nd and 3rd graders? that's way too long of a day and too much time away from their parents I think.

I never even thought about that, but that'd be insane for younger children as well. :( Younger kids especially need to spend time with their parents more. High schoolers would just be really annoyed, most kids I know hate school, and they wouldn't try anymore. I can only see this making schools and "test scores" worse for students, not any better.

[Freedom]

We have shorter school days, and longer summers, than most other countries. Growing up, my cousins in England an Italy could not BELIEVE how much time we had off.

That said, I do not believe adding 3 hours per day is practical. His reasoning seems less to focus on education and more to focus on safety:

"Those hours from 3 o'clock to 7 o'clock are times of high anxiety for parents," Duncan said. "They want their children safe. Families are working one and two and three jobs now to make ends meet and to keep food on the table." (Duncan in our national Education Secretary.)

School is NOT child care. (Yes, even senior in high school need adult supervision). Adding time is not the answer. QUALITY time in teaching and homework, that is what is needed. Teachers spend way too much timecoping with discipline, DCFY issues, meal plans, and other things which are the parent's responsibility.

Just my opinion.

[cassiesmom]

We have had such goofy winters the past couple of years that the schools have had to call snow days. I hate to extend school further into June or start even earlier in August, but maybe that would mean less cancelled school in the winter. The Chicago Public Schools have a few year-round schools.

[Karen]

That story is from way back in September, I wouldn't worry about it, as the government is obviously onto other topics. That was one speech, several months ago, odd that it is coming up now after all this time.

Educators have long advocated for longer days and longer years, I have heard this most of my life. Nothing has gained momentum yet, and I doubt the entrenched teachers unions, influential summer programs, etc. would let this take effect anyway.

It's a theory, not an actual plan, i wouldn't worry about it.

[Grace]

We have a friend who teaches in Arizona. They have been on year-round school for years. I'm not sure of the exact schedules, but they go to school for a certain number of months - then get 3 weeks off. And this repeats all year long.

[Twisterdog]

Longer school days are a HORRIBLE idea. Kids can barely concentrate from 8 to 3. I can barely concentrate that long!

But summer breaks are an antiquated idea whose time as long passed. Originally when we were an agricultural nation and every kid was needed on the farm during the warm months, it made sense. Kids were out of school because they were working 16 hours per day in their family's fields. But that hasn't been the case in the country since the Industrial Revolution.

Now parents work away from home, and families live in urban area. Kids are unsupervised and bored for three months, and so much more apt to get in trouble. In most towns, the number of summer jobs available is far less than the number of kids out of school.

Many cities have shown a dramatic drop in the summer juvenile crime rate and a dramatic increase in graduation rates and SAT/ACT scores after going to year long school.

[lizbud]

School Officals started all year school a few years ago. Students get
shorter breaks. If it helps get students to graduate, it's a great idea. Indiana
has a horrible graduation rate.:rolleyes:

[sparks19]

the summer break thing doesn't bother me. It's just over two months of doing nothing (although I DID enjoy it when in school lol) It could definitely be shorter especially with all the snow days they have around here. school gets called out with even the prospect of snow. which is totally crazy to me... I don't remember snow days when Iw as a kid unless it was a couple of FEET of snow over night lol.

but longer days? How much can a 7 year old take? 70 hours of school a week?

I agree this is very unlikely to happen and IF it did I would hope it wouldn't be all of a sudden. It would definitely need to be something that they build up to over a few years.

but for young kids that's just TOO much IMO.

[Karen]

As I said, it's an old story, and nothing to worry about.

One thing to keep in mind, though, is many kids these days go to "after care" after school, as both parents work. So effectively, they have a longer 'school' day anyway, even if all of it isn't officially called 'school."

[Alysser]

The summer break proposal would be bad for me, as I am so used to having 2 month summers. I would hate it. I know many many kids are bored all summer, but they should think of those who aren't. I worked all summer, I've been in the working force for 2 years now - it'll be going on 3 next month. Although I don't work during the winter. I was an excellent employee, I even got a letter in the mail saying I was an outstanding performer and they want me to come back, so I guess that's a good sign. A year-round school might not be so bad, but still. I worked my butt off all summer, and it wasn't my fault or the kids who WORK fault that kids were bored all summer. I maybe called out twice all summer.

I agree with you on the quality of teachers, Freedom. I just really don't like the longer school days, like someone said it's not PRACTICAL. I hope if anything happens it isn't going to happen anytime soon.

[sparks19]

yes but usually after school care isn't as "structured" as the school day. In other words most kids don't spend the after school care time sitting in a chair for that extra 3 hours. they can move around, maybe work on their homework during that time, or let off some steam by playing and socializing rather than having to just sit still in a chair for an extra three hours and THEN go home and still do their homework on top of that

[blue]

My little sis went to a year round school, at least before high school, they had trimesters.

[TINFOILHATON]If the administration is trying to indoctrinate our nations children, longer school hours make sense. Heck they already have elementary school kids singing songs and performing plays about The Messiah, err, the KIC, err, The Appointed One, err, Obama.[/TINFOILHATOFF]

[Marigold2]

In Europe students go half a day on Sat as well. As it stands now most Americans go only 180 days a year. We lack behind many courtries in Science & Math a change needs to be made. Going year round with maybe two weeks at Christmas and two weeks in the spring is plenty of time off. Students spend the first semester reviewing what they forgot durning the summer, three months is far too long.
Doesn't it seem like half of the Dr's in this country are from India?
School from 8 to 5 sounds ok, home by 6 for dinner with the folks. An hour for dinner, an hour homework and then free time.
Sports are great but not if the child cannot read or write, sports should never come before grades. That however is what it has come too. And that is one reason our kids are not doing as well as those in other countries.

[Marigold2]

Somewhere in the world, right now, students are hard at work in school. With over 190 nations spanning the globe’s 24 time zones, students and their academic years come in a variety of forms. Here’s a sampling of the typical school year in 13 nations throughout the world.
Australia

http://i.factmonster.com/images/australia-small.png
Students in Australia attend school for 200 days a year. Their school year lasts from late January to late November. Since Australia is in the southern hemisphere, it experiences summer while it’s winter in the northern hemisphere. Summer vacation for Australian students is from December to late January. Their school year is divided into four terms, with each term lasting 9 to 11 weeks. Students then have two weeks of vacation between each term. The typical school day is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and lunch is eaten at school. Students are required to attend school for at least nine years. The average class size is eighteen students and there are about six computers per classroom.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/australian-student.jpg
School grades in Australia are called years. Primary school is from year 1 to year 6; secondary school is from year 7 to year 12. A 6 year old begins in year one, while an 18 year old finishes school by year 12. From year one to year six, students spend about 12 hours a week working on math and English. Many schools integrate subjects, meaning they combine two or more academic subjects. For instance, say your class is studying coral reefs. A non-integrated approach would have students study coral reels only in science class. An integrated method incorporates math, by taking measurements, for example, and language arts. Students would then use that information to write a report about coral reefs.
Brazil

http://i.factmonster.com/images/brazil-locator.png
Brazil, also found in the southern hemisphere, shares the same summer months as Australia. The school day in Brazil runs from 7 a.m. to noon, and students typically go home at noon to share lunch with their family. Lunch is the most important meal of the day. Most schools require students to wear a uniform.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/brazilian-student.jpg
Math, geography, history, science, Portuguese, which is the national language of Brazil, and physical education are the main subjects studied by students in Brazil. Many schools can barely afford to teach those subjects, which means that courses like art and music are often left out in poorer areas. The average class size is 30 or more students. Most schools do not have a computer in the classrooms, or have only one or two computers for 30 students to share.

[Marigold2]

China

http://i.factmonster.com/images/china-locator.png
Because China is in the northern hemisphere, its summer months are in line with Asia, Europe, and North America. The school year in China typically runs from the beginning of September to mid-July. Summer vacation is generally spent in summer classes or studying for entrance exams. The average school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a two-hour lunch break. Formal education in China lasts for nine years. China provides all students with uniforms, but does not require they be worn.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/chinese-student.jpg
There are about 21 students in each classroom. All Chinese students study from textbooks that emphasize China’s unity, past and present accomplishments, and its future. Students in China also have great access to computer technology, with a computer to student ratio of 1:2. Chinese language and math skills are tested at the end of each year. Math is typically taught by drill, which means students are repeatedly taught the basics of math until they are able to demonstrate comprehension. Education in China since the turn of the 21st century has been undergoing reform, with curriculum being redesigned to emphasize group activities and other methods believed to foster creativity and innovation.
Costa Rica

http://i.factmonster.com/images/costa-rica-locator.png
Costa Rica was one of the first nations in Central and South America to offer free public education. On average, there are about twenty-eight students in a classroom. Students are required to wear uniforms during the nine years of their formal education, from ages 6 to 15, and supply their own lunches and snacks. Students then begin college at age 15. The school year in Costa Rica runs from February to December. Students have vacation for about two months, from December to February, and a few weeks off in July.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/costa-rican-student.jpg
Costa Rica is one of the most literate nations in Central America with over 96% of students over age 15 being able to read. In addition to the regular subjects–Spanish, social studies, math, and science–all Costa Rican schools now teach students English and computer science.
France

http://i.factmonster.com/images/france-locator.png
The school day in France typically runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a half day on Saturday, although students do not attend school on Wednesday or Sunday. Lunch is a two-hour break for public school students. Students usually attend school from ages 6 to 18. The average number of students per class is 23. Uniforms are not required, but religious dress of any kind is banned. The school year for this country in the northern hemisphere stretches from August to June, and is divided into four seven-week terms, with one to two weeks of vacation in between.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/french-students.jpg
Students in the primary grades, from age’s 6 to 11, learn basic skills in reading, writing, and math, as well as participate in exercises to develop observation, reasoning, imagination, and physical abilities. Older students study French, math, physical and natural sciences, foreign language, history and geography, economics, and civics.

[Marigold2]

Iran

http://i.factmonster.com/images/iran-locator.png
Iran is another nation in the northern hemisphere with a school year similar to European countries. Students in Iran go to school for 10 months a year, or about 200 active days, from September to June. The average number of students per classroom is 27. From ages 5 to 18, boys and girls are educated separately. Girls typically have female teachers, while boys are taught by men. Religious study in Iran is required. Men and women do study together at the university level–by 2006, over half of all university students in Iran were women.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/iranian-student.jpg
Beginning at age 5, all students must pass a yearly exam in order to move to the next grade level. Students in primary school learn about hygiene, basic math and science, reading, and study skills. Because many schools are in remote areas or do not have the money for such things as libraries, resourcefulness is necessary. For example, mobile libraries trundle across Iran to bring books to more than 4,000 children in 40 different schools. Each bus has two librarians and around 3,000 books. Students tend to get very excited when they hear the engine of the library bus coming their way.
Japan

http://i.factmonster.com/images/japan-locator.png
Most Japanese schools run on a trimester schedule. The academic year begins in April and ends the following March, with breaks for summer, winter and spring separating the three terms. Uniforms are required and there are extensive rules for hair styles, shoes, socks, skirt length, make-up, accessories, and more.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/japanese-student.jpg
In each classroom, the average number of students is 29 with five or six computers to share between them. Students in Japan study academic subjects, such as Japanese language, math, reading, social studies, music, and art, and they also receive moral education. Moral education involves teaching students about health and safety, living a disciplined life, courtesy, understanding and confidence, public manners, and environmental awareness.
Kenya

http://i.factmonster.com/images/kenya-locator.png
The school year in this southern-hemisphere nation is divided into three terms, each 13 weeks long, with one-month breaks in between. School days are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Uniforms are mandatory in government-run schools. Most classrooms have about thirty students in them.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/students-kenya.jpg
Many schools provide lunch. Because Kenya is experiencing severe economic and environmental hardships, some students save all or part of their lunch to share with their families. Students study the Kiswahili language, English, math, science, music, history, civics, and geography, and receive religious instruction.


Mexico

[Marigold2]

Mexico

http://i.factmonster.com/images/mexico-locator.png
The school year in Mexico runs from September to June. Students go to school Monday through Friday, and have elective classes on Saturdays. Students are required to wear uniforms for primaria (elementary school) and secondaria (middle school). School days are divided into two sessions, one for the morning and one for the afternoon.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/mexican-student.jpg
In each classroom, there are about 30 students who must share three computers. Students learn Spanish, math, art, and physical education. Other subjects are integrated into courses called environmental knowledge. These include the natural sciences, history, geography, civics, reading, writing, and oral expression.
Nigeria

http://i.factmonster.com/images/nigeria-locator.png
The school year in Nigeria runs from January to December. The year is divided into three semesters with a month off in between each semester. Students must wear uniforms, as well as obey rules for hair, jewelry, and accessory restrictions.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/nigerian-student.jpg
There are about 40 students in each classroom in Nigeria. There they will learn one of the three main languages (Hausa, Yoruba, or Ibo), math, English, social studies, health and physical education, religious instruction, agriculture, and home economics.
North Korea

http://i.factmonster.com/images/north-korea.png
Students in North Korea must attend school for 11 years, beginning at age 5. Students must wear uniforms provided by the government, and many students receive room and board from their government.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/north-korean-student.jpg
Students study music, art, math, the Korean language, social education. Social education includes studying about the former leader Kim Il Song, and “Communist Morality.” In later years they learn about the policies of the communist party. Social education also provides students with a controlled environment in which to learn so they are protected from “bad or unplanned influences.”

[Marigold2]

Russia

http://i.factmonster.com/images/russia-locator.png
The school year in Russia runs from the first of September to late May. Students attend class from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. No uniforms are required; students are instead encouraged to dress warmly. Students remain together in the same class from grades one to ten. Each classroom has about 16 students.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/russian-student.jpg
Tenth grade is the last year of mandatory education. Eleventh and 12th grades offer optional paths, either to vocational schools to learn trade skills or to continue to study for university entrance exams. Students in grades one to ten study Russian, math, reading, natural sciences, music, art, and physical education.
South Korea

http://i.factmonster.com/images/south-korea-locator.png
The school year in South Korea typically runs from March to February. The year is divided into two semesters (March to July and September to February). School days are from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but many stay later into the evening. In addition, students help clean up their classroom before leaving. Most students remain in the same room while their teachers rotate throughout the day. Each room has about thirty students with ten computers for them to share.
http://i.factmonster.com/images/south-korean-student.jpg
After 5 p.m. students have a short dinner at home, or eat at school, before study sessions or other activities begin in the evening. Students attend school Monday to Friday, with some Saturday classes scattered throughout the year. Their classes cover the Korean language, math, science, physical education, social studies, moral education, music, fine and practical arts. In third grade students begin receiving English instruction for two hours a week.

[Lilith Cherry]

The average class size in China is nearer to 75 than 21:eek: the uniforms are NOT provided free and many country schools have sand trays instead of paper to write on! I do not know where you got this information but it is mostly propaganda and sadly not true:rolleyes:

I am not knocking you Marigold, but I know this from broad experience having taught here since 1992. I am at a technical college presently which has classes of 80 - so many that some have to sit on the floor as there are not enough desks let alone computers!

[Alysser]

School from 8-5 is not bad? School from 8 to 6 (for me anyway) is more like it. An hour for homework, haven't we had enough school that day as it is? It takes me MUCH longer then a freakin' hour to do my homework most of the time. I've been up till 3 AM doing homework on Sunday nights. Maybe I did procrastinate a bit but it still would've taken me like 4-5 hours to complete. HW isn't my cup of tea, but I do it anyway, and I do all of it - especially when it's to be graded. That doesn't even begin to include studying. Studying for AP history alone takes me 2 to 3 hours every time I had a major test. It might not sound that bad to you guys, but then again you aren't students anymore.

This is coming from a high school junior.

[Lady's Human]

Okay, guys, this proposal just isn't going to happen for a number of reasons.

1) Budget. More classroom hours=more pay for teachers. Their salaries are based on an expected number of hours in the classroom. Increase the hours, the pay increases.

a) Facilities budgets: Increase the time in school, increases the time the facilities are in use. In turn it increases the maintenance budget.

b) Transportation budgets: More days=more bus trips=more maintenance and fuel costs.

c) School meal budgets: self explanatory, but if the kids are going to be in school past 4 PM, plan on eating dinner there. Given the hour +/- bus trip to and from the school, the lunch would have to expand from just lunch to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

2) Increased strain on personnel: increase hours, decrease off time=poor performance, unless you increase the personnel proportionally with the time increase, which leads to a budget explosion.

3) Parents, like me, who would tell the school board to stuff it if they decided the kids were going to be in school for 9+ hours. Ain't happening. I've already had discussions with the school administration about their curriculum, I would have no issue discussing this in a school board meeting.



The story is old, hasn't been heard from since the original speech, and is really a non-starter.


Marigold, may I ask where you pulled that article from? It's overly rosy in its outlook, sounds like someone has been drinking the koolaide of a special interest group or 20. More hours in school won't fix anything. More days in school won't fix anything.

More involved parents and less intrusive school policies would work wonders. Get back to teaching academics, get the hell out of the business of teaching morals and social programs in school, and leave parenting to the parents. That's my job, not Society's.

[Catlady711]

Sports are great but not if the child cannot read or write, sports should never come before grades. That however is what it has come too. And that is one reason our kids are not doing as well as those in other countries.


Get back to teaching academics, get the hell out of the business of teaching morals and social programs in school, and leave parenting to the parents. That's my job, not Society's.


Agree TOTALLY with both of you!!


Sadly our schools here are so sports focused, that they've built a new track, olympic sized pool, and a new football field but kids are still having to share books and some of those books are so old the kid's parents names are written in them. If they so much as talk about charging more for sports, limiting the number of sports a child can play in one year, or cutting things back in general, the parents get in a huge uproar.:rolleyes:

In comparing my education to my husbands, he was taught ALOT more about history and historical figures than I was. In our school math was no longer a required class after 9th grade, my husband was required to take math all the way through H.S. Our school thought it was a wonderful idea to teach careers. The only thing they offered was white collar, high paying, desk job type careers and to work on the school paper you had to be an honor student, it wasn't an elective class.

I've also noticed children from other countries tend to be taught two languages from a very young age. Our schools won't even let you take the language classes until 9th or 10th grades.