henric
06-15-2012, 11:35 PM
15/06/2012 8:30:00 AM
by Nevil Hunt
The last school bell before summer vacation is just days away and kids will head out for nine or 10 weeks of leisure. That tradition may be changed as provinces take a look at year-round learning.
Write 500 words about what you did on summer vacation.
That traditional September assignment may need to be trimmed to 250 words if summer vacations are cut back for students in elementary and high schools.
Year-round learning includes vacations, including a summer break, but instead of two or more months in one summer chunk, the holidays are more evenly spread throughout the 12 months of the calendar.
Some school in Alberta have already adopted the system, which is sometimes called a balanced school year. In the fall of 2013, British Columbia schools will have the option of switching to year-round classes.
A number of studies indicate that kids retain more of what they've learned when the summer break is shorter, meaning teachers can do a quick review in September and then start to broach new ideas.
"What we now have is a pretty strong case that children learn better when they don't have a long summer break," B.C. Education Minister George Abbott told reporters back in April as the province moved towards granting the year-round option.
A pilot study at an elementary school in Ontario's Peel Region found that year-round learning meant students scored better on Grade 7 testing in math, and that the shorter summer break was particularly valuable for students with learning disabilities and those learning English.
Not all research has found year-round schooling better than our traditional school year, but there's no sign that it's been a negative in any place it's been tried. So there's a potential upside and no real drawbacks other than the need for families and kids to adapt.
There will be parents who don't like the change, but that's the nature of change, isn't it? Many people who must deal with a new idea will always feel put out in some way.
Family vacations may have to be adapted to the shorter summer holiday period, but there will also be plenty of advance notice before the school calendar is altered.
There are bound to be some parents who dislike year-round learning because of daycare arrangement that will have to be modified so the kids have care during multiple short breaks throughout the school year. Once again, a year or more of notice should help with that.
School boards would be wise to adopt year-round learning at schools serving different age groups. By offering the option at an elementary school and high school in the same community, there would be less chance that siblings might have to follow very different school calendars throughout the year.
If the end result – having all kids on year-round learning – is better for the children, then the short-term pain will be worth it. Trustees should be willing to take some flack from some parents, knowing that once that cohort of students passes through the school system, the next generation will accept year-round learning as normal.
Would you support year-round learning for your kids? Would a shorter summer vacation be an issue?
by Nevil Hunt
The last school bell before summer vacation is just days away and kids will head out for nine or 10 weeks of leisure. That tradition may be changed as provinces take a look at year-round learning.
Write 500 words about what you did on summer vacation.
That traditional September assignment may need to be trimmed to 250 words if summer vacations are cut back for students in elementary and high schools.
Year-round learning includes vacations, including a summer break, but instead of two or more months in one summer chunk, the holidays are more evenly spread throughout the 12 months of the calendar.
Some school in Alberta have already adopted the system, which is sometimes called a balanced school year. In the fall of 2013, British Columbia schools will have the option of switching to year-round classes.
A number of studies indicate that kids retain more of what they've learned when the summer break is shorter, meaning teachers can do a quick review in September and then start to broach new ideas.
"What we now have is a pretty strong case that children learn better when they don't have a long summer break," B.C. Education Minister George Abbott told reporters back in April as the province moved towards granting the year-round option.
A pilot study at an elementary school in Ontario's Peel Region found that year-round learning meant students scored better on Grade 7 testing in math, and that the shorter summer break was particularly valuable for students with learning disabilities and those learning English.
Not all research has found year-round schooling better than our traditional school year, but there's no sign that it's been a negative in any place it's been tried. So there's a potential upside and no real drawbacks other than the need for families and kids to adapt.
There will be parents who don't like the change, but that's the nature of change, isn't it? Many people who must deal with a new idea will always feel put out in some way.
Family vacations may have to be adapted to the shorter summer holiday period, but there will also be plenty of advance notice before the school calendar is altered.
There are bound to be some parents who dislike year-round learning because of daycare arrangement that will have to be modified so the kids have care during multiple short breaks throughout the school year. Once again, a year or more of notice should help with that.
School boards would be wise to adopt year-round learning at schools serving different age groups. By offering the option at an elementary school and high school in the same community, there would be less chance that siblings might have to follow very different school calendars throughout the year.
If the end result – having all kids on year-round learning – is better for the children, then the short-term pain will be worth it. Trustees should be willing to take some flack from some parents, knowing that once that cohort of students passes through the school system, the next generation will accept year-round learning as normal.
Would you support year-round learning for your kids? Would a shorter summer vacation be an issue?