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Entry bubble Longer School Day / Year

By: Colleen | September 30, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

I can hear the collective groan of students everywhere with the idea of an extended school day or year being tossed around.

Recently, President Obama has established his position that an extended school year or day should be explored seeing as American students are falling behind academically in comparison to the rest of the world, particularly in the areas of math and science.

While the former student inside me who lives for summers down the shore thinks this is a bum deal, I can't help but acknowledge that our current educational system is based on an agricultural society, one which few children are actively a part of today.

More families now have two working parents and I can see how an extended school day would help ease their fears of what their kids are up to between the hours of 3-7pm.

With either extension, obviously money is a factor. It is unclear how much additional cost there would be to keep kids in school longer. And I don't think the importance of extracurricular activities like sports and clubs can be ignored - and these are events that typically take place after school-hours.

What do educators think of this idea? Would it be helpful? Would you like to spend more time in school?

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Comments (11):

blue comment bubble Posted by Andy on September 30, 2009 at 10:12 AM EDT

When i was younger, all i wanted to do was getting out of school as soon as possible!
I have always been a good student, but i had always hated school!
Now that i have a full time job and have no time left to study, i wish i could go back to college!

Keeping kids a couple hours more at school is a great idea, it is not going to hurt them at all!
Besides, parents would get to have a little extra peace of mind!

Definitely it is a very good idea, but you are right Colleen, where is the budget going to come from?

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blue comment bubble Posted by Nobama on September 30, 2009 at 10:13 AM EDT

Another fine encroachment by Comrad Obama. Constitutionally speaking, the education of our youth is an authority reserved to the states and the federal government has no place indetermining how it is done. Secondly, our fine Socialist President is very good at spending money, my money, my taxes. I do not mind paying taxes, it is the cost of living in a civilized society, but i do mind politicians telling my what social causes to support, by levying taxes on my hard earned income, supporting private enterprises, and overstepping constitutional boundaries. a longer school day necessittates higher spending on teachers, either in increased salaries, or increased staffing. That means higher taxes on the people at the state and local school district level. Maybe a better way to improve schools would be to get back to basics, deal with problem students and problem teachers and give our children an incentive NOW to achieve. Some problems can't be solved with money, they hve to be solve with blood, sweat, and tears, the costs of putting in a real effort. Maybe Mr Obama should spend a week on a Farm and learn what work is.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Marjorie Colletta on September 30, 2009 at 10:45 AM EDT

I'm in favor of making the kids want to be in school longer, not just making them be in school longer. Why be in school longer if it just means more of the same. Kids in school because they want to be is more likely to have them learning, staying active and being involved.

Two things have to happen first: One someone has to pay for this and right now in the state I live in, California, that just isn't possible without a complete re-working of the school system and the way they are funded. Two, we have to look at how and why kids learn, so of teaching has to be rote, some has to be teaching them to think, and some has to be from self-motivated learning. Legislating a longer day isn't going to make them learn more.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Give me a break! on September 30, 2009 at 03:38 PM EDT

I don't think keeping kids in the school longer is going to do anything to improve our childrens academically. Kids are in school plenty enough, not to mention all the homework they bring home. Give them a chance to be kids for goodness sake! What Obama should focus on, is improving the quality of education in school, not quantity. Let our teachers TEACH. Get rid of the No Child Left Behind act, get rid of all the standardized tests, and go back to just teaching our kids the way they should be taught.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Peppermint on September 30, 2009 at 04:56 PM EDT

I think extending school hours would benefit our children and our society. I think this would be an excellent way to incorporate additional language classes too. I feel English should be the official language but we should also try to expand our language skills to keep up with the rest of the world. So, more math, science and language classes. Also, make gym last period for everyone in the school, 3-5 times a week. Make the teachers participate too - get everybody up off their lazy butts and move. I always thought having gym last period would be best because if you sweat or get dirty, it doesn't matter so much because you're going home right after anyway.

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blue comment bubble Posted by former teacher on October 01, 2009 at 03:55 PM EDT

I think one important argument for a longer day is that you could give kids a chance to do their homework in school (in a study hall environment). One problem with our education is that home lives for different students are VERY different; and many kids suffer because of chaos at home. Maybe having them in school longer would offer more stability and a better study environment.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Michelle-Sick of school and homework! on October 01, 2009 at 04:28 PM EDT

I totally agree with you Gimme a Break! My son is in 6th grade and every year he's begun hating school more and more. This in turn has created a struggle for me and him. He is at school for 8 hours and then brings home and hour or more of homework every night! There is already not enough time for family activities or household chores. If the school day is extended when will I ever be able to teach my child about REAL LIFE? School is important but families need time to spend together to teach children life lessons. I say absolutely do not lengthen the school day or the number of days per year. If they do, I will yank him out of public schools and teach him at home!!!!!!

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blue comment bubble Posted by angel on October 01, 2009 at 05:25 PM EDT

if this keep happening, it just not going to make kids want to go to school at all because some students have to work...like how are they going to have time for their homework. what i think obama should focus on is to STOP SPENDING MONEY ON USELESS STUFF

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blue comment bubble Posted by How about year-round calendars and 90 more min per day? on October 05, 2009 at 10:37 PM EDT

I think a longer school day would be ok if there was time built in for recess for all- not just elementary schools. A longer lunch break could accommodate make up tests, visits with the counselor and some sort of exercise- even if it is walking around the gym, hallway or auditorium. Perhaps they could get in cheer practice, track practice, whatever sports teams at this time? A quick break for a stretch, breath of fresh air and snack could rejuvenate students for another 90 minutes of class in the afternoon. Teenagers and circadian rhythms have been studied- let them start after 8 or 9 am and stay until 4:30- they might be better able to pay attention than at 7:25 am as they start now.

My kids attended a public year-round elementary school program and a recent 5 year study (beyond the year-round schedule) proved that these students outperformed (in all subjects) students in the same district who attended a traditional calendar. Retention and continuity of education are a huge bonus.

Currently at the higher grade levels, parents are complaining that students do not have enough time in a day, or year, to take all the classes they need or want (advanced math, foreign languages, technology, arts). Adding a short break or two into the day (besides 20 min lunch) could accommodate an extra hour or more in the school day, in my opinion. I know the solution is not easy, but it deserves our attention.

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blue comment bubble Posted by Vasili on October 16, 2009 at 09:06 PM EDT

I am a 10th grade student and I just think there's no point of having students waster time in school if 90% of them cuss the teachers out or such stuff. Obama should think about how to improve teachers and make them teach better without having the students control them! Common now, in have of my classes the teachers are scared of the students because students tell them that they don't like writing essays or other things because they think its dumb, maybe its teachers who can't take care of students making them do it, I came from Russia and I went to school there for 4 years and when I came here, I learn the same stuff in 10th grade as I did in 4th grade in Russia, Its just the schools have to be more strict. Plus a lot and I mean a LOT of kids today smoke and do drugs etc. That should stop for at least a little bit, because I think that this is one of the things that stops students from learning better.

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blue comment bubble Posted by remi on November 03, 2009 at 05:08 PM EST

I feel that a childs concentration will only go so far, extending the schoolday will only be minimally beneficial, and could be quite frustrating when kids have more homework to do at home as well. I would suggest some kind of shorter-day block schedule program that will let kids get more depth out their topics, while extending the schoolyear. It would be better, in my opinion, to have a daily balance of work and play, rather than 9 months of intense work and 3 months of laziness. So basically, shorter schooldays, longer schoolyear.

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