Do American Students Need More Time in School?

As schools continue to fail our students, many people are continuing to search for new strategies that might improve the quality of students’ education in the United States. One idea that has come about is increasing the amount of time students spend in the classroom. Some believe that this will allow students more time in class to focus on their individual needs. It will allow teachers more time to devote to each student. However, there are those who disagree with this strategy. They do not believe that students need more time in the classroom. They believe that what students really need is a better quality of education. They need better educators.

Those in favor of allotting more time in the classroom believe that this will allow teachers to focus more on each student’s specific needs. Teachers say that with the small amount of time in the day and with so many students to account for, it is simply too difficult to appropriately give the time each student deserves. They say that expanding the school day by one extra hour and including Saturday classes will benefit the students greatly. One argument was that we are now in the 21^st century and we cannot and should not be following the school schedules made for students who worked on farms centuries ago. A three month long summer vacation is therefore unnecessary, especially when a large portion of knowledge is lost during this time. Many schools have already integrated a lengthened school year into the curriculum and have seen wonderful results with higher academic testing scores.

Those not in favor of the extended school year say that the evidence shown by the proponents is not significant. They say that schools should be focusing on quality instead of quantity. This strategy simply will not work if the teachers are not up to par. They also say that it is much too costly for tax money to be used in supporting air conditioning costs and increased teacher pay throughout the summer. People believe that alternatives, such as a block schedule, are efficient enough to make a difference in student education.

I believe that there should be an increased school year. This will allow teachers more time in the day to focus on each student and tell them what they need to work on. I also believe that we not only have to increase the school day, but we have to make sure that the teachers are fit for the task and can effectively use the time in class to benefit the students. Without good quality teachers, students will not progress no matter how much time they spend in school. I also believe that a three month long summer vacation is unnecessary. A large percent of the knowledge gained throughout the school year is lost within this three month time span. The school calendar needs to be revised in order to properly fit the needs of a 21^st century student.