Will Kids Spend More Time in the Classroom?
Despite President Barack Obama's call for students to spend more time in school, the recession seems to be forcing more districts to go in the opposite direction. Districts in about 17 states already have a four-day week, and similar proposals are being debated in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Missouri, and Washington, the Associated Press reports. In Broward County, Fla., for example, district officials are considering a four-day schedule for high schools.
Students are not losing instructional time. Instead, districts are eliminating one school day but adding hours to the other four days of the week in an attempt to lower costs. Yet, the national trend toward a shorter week leaves the impression that few, if any, states will heed the president's call and add more instructional time to the academic year. Obama recently said that a longer school year would improve educational outcomes and make the United States more competitive with leading Asian countries, where students spend more time in school.
Some studies, however, show that shortening the school week doesn't hurt student achievement. Some schools that have classes four days a week have even reported improvements in test scores, behavior, and teacher morale (researchers caution against drawing a causal relationship). Where there is real debate is on the savings for schools that make the switch out of financial necessity. In many cases, schools can't lower costs because they are required to have utilities running all week for community meetings and student events. U.S. News has more on districts struggling to keep costs down.
Tags: Barack Obama | education
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Reader Comments
Obama isn't trying to import Korean education.
President Obama merely said that he thinks it good for students to spend more time in school, not that he's trying to import their system wholesale.
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2009/03/obama-didnt-say-what-you-thought-he.html
Comments on the South Korean Ed System
I would like to comment on Nate Peele's comments. I current live and teach in South Korea and being close to the system, I can say that I have no desire to replicate it in the United States. First, education is stuffed down the throats of children from an early age. Instead of playing sports after school, students often attend as much as six extra hours of classes in a day. School is also compulsory on many Saturdays. I understand that in order to get ahead you have to study smarter (not harder) than the other person. In Korea, however, many of these hagwons offer low quality education. They are businesses that hire untrained teachers who will work for the smallest salary offered. In English hagwons, language is usually learned through memorization and repetition. Many students have a large vocabulary but have trouble constructing a sentence.
Also, there is a limit to how much school a child can handle. After awhile, any one of us would shut down.
Furthermore, student behavior is not any better in Korea than in the states and is sometimes worse. Hitting a student 200 times does not instill a love of learning or a healthy respect for the school. If anything, it causes behind the back rebellions and inspires acts of revenge.
Basically, South Korea has an enormous quantity of education, but little quality. Multiple choice tests are the norm, but get a Korean student away from a standardized test and they often have a tough time. I understand that U.S. schools have gotten lax in their education and their standards, but I do not endorse a broad acceptance of the South Korean education system.
4 days per week school
How about parents who has to work 5 days a week, 9 hrs a day? If there is a husband and wife in a household , one party may take on the responsibility of taking one day off per week. How about if it is a single parent household? And not many companies have a 4 days work per week. And not to forget the spring break, summer break, fall break and winter break.
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