Reasons why changing to 4-Day School weeks in a good idea
The idea of shortening the school week to four days is a new trend that is becoming popular across the U.S. About 500 school districts have been granted permission to experiment the idea and many more are catching on. Colorado is leading the charge; over one third of their school districts have adopted the four-day school week. While no student will complain about enjoying a long weekend, some parents are unhappy about the choice for obvious reasons like not knowing how to manage their job and the extra day kids have to stay at home coupled with the belief that kids are not getting sufficient education. However, if the saying that ‘All work no playing makes Jack a dull boy’ is not satisfactory enough, there are several reasons why studying for four days a week is beneficial.
Financial Benefits
This aspect dates as far back as the 1930’s when economic hardship in America triggered the idea of reducing school days to cut back on spending. It is estimated that eliminating a day per week accounts for 20% less spending on items like buses, food, transportation of all sort, utilities, snacks and extra bonuses.
Teachers have enough time to plan their lessons
Teaching in itself is stressful and overbearing for teachers. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2015), an overwhelming one million teachers in the U.S. left their jobs for a new job. Several factors account for this; one reason that stands out is the lack of time and the pressure imposed by the job. Getting an extra day to relax and prepare lessons will increase the efficiency of teachers in planning their lessons.
Long weekends are great for teachers and children
Long weekends are like a short vacation. This is enough time to visit friends and family, have fun and reduce the pressure from a hectic week. Children also have enough time to spend with their parents, having fun and reviewing lessons they studied during the week. Having enough rest during a long weekend increases student’s ability to perform in school.
Increased performance in school
A recent study published in the journal of Education, Finance and Policy found out that Colorado schools that switched to a four-day week actually saw increased math scores amongst 5th graders. A study by researchers in the University of McGill in Montreal showed that students who had enough rest and slept adequately performed well in the languages and math. Therefore, having a long weekend and enough rest is key to boosting performance at school.
Children have time to learn other skills
Having enough time over the weekend is a great opportunity for children to visit parks, the zoo, museums, cultural events etc. They can also partake in competitions and games that their school environment cannot provide. During this process, meeting different people also goes a long way to improve their social skills.
So far, we have seen that there are several benefits to a shorter school week. However, the following questions still keep bugging parents as follows: does the four day week impact academic performance negatively? Is the four day week benefiting the school authorities more than parents and the kids themselves? Share this article and give us your thoughts on the issue.
