Summer School Break - Still Needed?

[Tumblehome]

I was chatting with a friend today and she suggested that summer school break does more harm than good to the education of today's children. She figures that kids forget a whole lot over the summer and that they have to start all over the next year. She noted that summer break was originally created for agrarian society in which kids were needed to work on the farms. That isn't the case anymore (for most kids anyway).

So what do you folks think? Should we bring an end to summer break for schoolchildren?

PS - please move this to the educatoin forum. I posted it in the wrong place.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Yes, end it.

We (sort of) school year-round, even though our evaluations are in mid-May. We take weeks off during the school year, and weeks at the end, but it is by no means a "summer break." Of course, financially and realistically, I don't know how this would be accomplished at the government school levels. I'm not in the mainstream regarding education anyway, so I'm probably not the best one to give an answer, since I think we should also do away with government schooling, :smirky: .

[Melz]

There are a lot of teachers who get second jobs in the summer though, so to end the summer school break and do somewhat of a year round school would be detrimental in that respect. I know that both my child and I welcome the summer break and by the time it is over, we welcome "back to school." I agree though, they do forget a lot of what they learned, but just the things they learned towards the end of the year. The things taught then are usual preliminary to the next grade's work anyway. The things learned continuously throughout the year are not quickly forgotten in 2.5 months.

[Conserv_Atticus]

And as a student i say ur all wack jobs...

[DeclinetoState]

She figures that kids forget a whole lot over the summer and that they have to start all over the next year. If they forget the liberal political propaganda, is that a bad thing?

[Melz]

If they forget the liberal political propaganda, is that a bad thing?

So far (*knocking on wood*) my child has heard positive political statements in this school district I moved to last summer. I am happy so far from what I have seen and heard, but she is only 11. I will be watching closely at what she is presented with in middle school now, I can only hope the same sort of teachings go on there.

[Riverboat]

There are a lot of teachers who get second jobs in the summer though, so to end the summer school break and do somewhat of a year round school would be detrimental in that respect. Amen. As I'm fond of saying, I need another job to pay for the one I have.

A teaching buddy offered this observation years ago: Summer vacation gives kids a chance to realize there's more to life than sitting in a classroom. That's not to say education is unimportant. My fondest summer memories are sitting on the swing reading a book at my grandparents' house.

[DeclinetoState]

My fondest summer memories are sitting on the swing reading a book at my grandparents' house.This summer, 'boat's fondest memories have been of DeclinetoState's pics of Ann Coulter. :) :D