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I
agree with the idea of a longer school year but disagree with having a longer
school day.
Studies have proven that two ninety day terms with a long summer vacation is
academically inefficient.
It is also economically inefficient. A longer
school day does not take into consideration diminishing returns.
The attention span of
many students decreases as the day wares on.
Little additional learning, and for some, less learning would take place with a
longer school day.
The
present high school system
has five fifty-minute academic classes per day for 180 days which yields
(50 minutes)(5 days)(180 days) = 45,000 minutes per year.
The new system would have three 15 week terms separated by two-week vacations.
The remaining six class days would be for holidays during the year or an added
vacation time.
This 225 day school year would have five 45 minute classes with five minutes
between each class. Total minutes per year would be (45 minutes)(5 days)(225 days)
= 50,625.
This would be a 10% increase. Schools would run double sessions from 8 AM to 12
Noon an 1 PM to 5 PM. In the beginning, students would be required to attend
225 days per
year and teachers would be required to teach three sessions over 225 days but
would have a shorter day. In
time, both students and teachers worthy could be double up creating additional
vacation time and/or early graduation.
Twelve
years of public free education was a good number for many years and now
that pre-school and kindergarten is required, elementary and high school
should be ten years.
Student scold stop at sixteen or go on to higher education of some kind.
School
facilities would be used
much more efficiently. In affect, school utilization would double. School
districts with below standard facilities could close poor schools.
School officials would find many unique uses for vacant classrooms, facilities,
and teachers who want to earn extra money..
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