2004-6-23
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education
Report.
Many American schools have closed for the summer. Most children
in the United States have a summer holiday of almost three months.
This traditional school schedule was designed long ago when many
Americans lived on farms. Children were needed at home during the
summer to help their families with the crops and animals. Schools
later continued the tradition, mostly because it was difficult to
hold classes in the hot summer weather.
American schools began to experiment with changing this system in
the early nineteen-hundreds. One idea was for children to attend
school all year round. But the idea did not become popular until
about twenty-five years ago. Studies done at the time showed that
American students were not performing as well as students in other
countries.
Students who attend year-round schools in the United States do
not go to class every day of the year. They spend the same number of
days in class as other students. But the time is organized
differently. For example, some students attend school five days a
week for nine weeks. Then they have three weeks off before going
back to school for another nine weeks. In the summer they have about
five weeks of holiday.
Supporters of year-round schooling say it improves student
learning. They say students in the traditional system often forget
what they have learned during a long summer holiday. They say
schools can offer special classes during the short holidays for
students who need extra help. They also say it saves money because
the school buildings are used throughout the year.
People opposed to year-round schooling say the research has not
proved that it improves learning. Families report problems
organizing activities and travel when children in different schools
have different holidays. Some parents want their children to have an
extended summer away from the pressures of school. People who
operate summer camps for children oppose the idea. So do businesses
that employ teenagers in the summer.
The National Association for Year-Round Education says that more
than two-million American children, out of a total of fifty-two
million, now attend school year-round. It says forty-seven American
states have some schools that operate year-round.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy
Steinbach. This is Steve Ember.