School year prohibits advancement for students

By: Lance Ausseresses

Schools around the world need to change their schedule to a year round schedule. The typical traditional school year schedule was created for agricultural reasons. Today however, according to BusinessInsider, only 1.8% of the population are farmers. Schools need to update and change the way the school year is structured to help create a better environment for students.

To the left, is a comparison of the two school schedules. A school year schedule (right) creates a fall, winter, and spring break each lasting 15 days. It also makes each quarter last exactly 45 days, creating a more evenly distributed schedule.

One of the major reasons a year-round schedule is better is because of the students' physical activity. In a traditional model, students who have a 60-plus day break tend to gain weight because of their sedentary lifestyle during the summer, according to a study conducted by Harvard University. A year-round calendar would provide students shorter breaks but more physical activity.

Another benefit of this type of schedule is that it allows students to get back into the feel of school quicker than a traditional year. Many teachers have to take almost an entire quarter to get students into the routine of school after a three month summer. In a year-round schedule, the separation between home and school is shorter, allowing students to fully process and retain the content they are learning throughout the year.

A year-round school also allows teachers to teach new lessons that can intrigue students throughout the whole year. Harvard studies show that the dropout rate for high school on a traditional schedule is 5% while a year round schedule drops it to 2%, further proving how efficient a year-round schedule is to students.

Although a year-round schedule sounds nice to some, many businesses and individuals are opposed to such a change. For example, because year-round scheduling would prohibit families from taking extended vacations, some parents may be opposed to this new approach.

Amusement parks also offer much of the push back to year-round scheduling. In Ohio, amusement parks have a strong political influence in school schedules because of the money they make in the summer months. Some schools wait until Labor Day to start school just so that amusement parks have more time to draw students into the park.

Year-round scheduling may also interfere with students’ summer jobs, which will help students afford housing and essential needs in the future. The traditional schedule allows students to work for longer periods of time and accumulate more savings before enrolling in college.

Although the reasons for school schedules to remain the same are valid, the benefits of a year-round schedule outweigh those of the traditional style. The top priority for schools should be the health and education of their students. An alternative schedule allows all of these aspects to work together to help students succeed. I urge school boards to bring up the scheduling problem and help students live a healthier and happier life.