Summer is finally here. I've been looking forward to this day ever since I received my property assessment in January.
The end of June also signals the end of the school year for the kids as well.
Two months of freedom, sunshine, time with friends and getting that elusive and hopefully lucrative summer job.
Things would sure be different if we went to a year-round school calendar, as has been suggested.
The school calendar, including a two-month summer vacation, was implemented many years ago to accommodate some children helping out with the harvest. Since those times are long past, the education ministry is considering a calendar of three months in school followed by a month off instead of two shorts breaks (Christmas and Spring Break) and the two month summer vacation.
Research apparently shows that kids on a year-round calendar don't suffer a knowledge loss, for obvious reasons.
Two months when the only thing soaking in is sunshine (liquid or otherwise) makes anyone want to forget about school. I'm pretty sure they've forgotten everything by week two anyway, but I may be wrong.
I'm all for looking at new ways to do things. Just because 'we've always done it this way' doesn't mean we should continue that way. Nothing improves without change. But with any change, there will be positive aspects and negative aspects. As long as the positives outweigh the negatives, it should make sense.
I like the educational benefit; less time reviewing, more time learning. I'm just not convinced that aspect alone is a strong enough argument to warrant a change.
As a society, we have evolved to expect the summer vacation.
Families are used to taking off in July or August. Small businesses look forward to a steady flow of tourists on their summer vacation, and the associated overabundance of eager potential employees to help out.
Teachers are used to two solid months to recharge their batteries and prepare for another crop of students. Heaven knows they can use the break.
We can talk about changing the schedule, but the outcome may not be what we hoped for.
Think about it - how much do you enjoy being stuck in an office at work on a sunny July day? Now add in algebra.
Sounds like a recipe for skipping class if I've ever heard one, even if you like algebra.
I'm a firm believer that school is only part of the learning process for our kids. They need time outside of school to develop their real-life learning experiences as well. The summer job is an important transition between the security of the classroom and the outside world. Changing the school calendar to three months on, one month off will make getting that job, and that experience, very difficult.
It seems to me the only people who would really want year round school would be those unfortunate kids stuck spending their summer working on the farm. I'll take algebra over that any time.
. In my last column, I attributed the list of '11 Things Not Taught in High School' to Bill Gates. Apparently, it was written by Charles J. Sykes. Thanks for the clarification, Ed.
