Do you think the school should be open during the summer months?
By gxnfly
@gxnfly (1147)
China
May 10, 2008 2:13am CST
School are closed during winter and summer in our country.For winter I think it's too cold to go to school,maybe that's why school are closed during that time.As summer,I think it must too hot to go to school.That's kind of a custom now.
I heard that in some countries they have more than two school vacations.How many school vacations in your country?When?
Also in some countries schools are closed during the summer. This custom was important when most people were farmers. People needed their children to help them pick the crops in June, July and August. But few people are farmers anymore.So some parents feel school should be open during the summer months.What do you think of it?
8 people like this
28 responses
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
10 May 08
it would make more sense to me if they had winter off instead,i know i wished for it when i went.
it would save on heating bills.
they put forward the idea in my town once and it got shot down.people immediately complained about their vacations,and the kids "would need air conditioning".
air conditioning?we never had it-even in june!
@gxnfly (1147)
• China
10 May 08
We didn't have air conditioning when I was in shool,all we got were 4 or 6 fans when I was in college.I don't think many school have air conditioning in my country.
It's like a convention to me that we have both winter and summer vacations.If any one was off,I don't like it.I think students need both winter and summer vacations.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
10 May 08
It depends where you live. Where I live, we get triple digit temps in the summer. Having school in the summer seems to be a ridiculous prospect to me, but of course that is only my opinion. I know that the colleges have classes year round, but I am a supporter of the traditional school year for school age students. I also would prefer fewer vacations during the year in order to cram the required days into a shorter period and therefore having a longer summer break. I like to accomplish as much as possible into a smaller chunk of time rather than spread it out. That leaves more time for things people actually enjoy, and lord knows that's exactly what we need these days.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
11 May 08
that's true.we don't often get into the triple digits,but we do have plenty of the negative days in winter.i guess it would depend strongly on your region.
we had these poor kids stuck on a bus for 10 hours last year in a storm,i felt so bad for them.
@ilya7x (28)
• United States
10 May 08
Um..?
Here in California, we have 2-3 vacation breaks and summer we get off completely.
But generally, it's not to pick crops.
It's for ourselves to take a break from all the hard school work.
School definately should NOT be open in the summer.
A lot of kids actually put a lot of effort into school and should not be overworked.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
10 May 08
Especially now! For some reason, the schools are not keeping the work to AT SCHOOL like they should. I am not seeing this as badly in the junior and high schools, the teachers I speak with actually do state they do not assign homework. What they do is expect the kids to finish things at home if they goof off in class and do not get it done, but they are provided time to complete things in class. What I have seen with elementary school though is that they do NOT allow time in class, they actually make these little kids take home packets of things to only be done at home. I feel this is atrocious and wrong, especially since I don't see it repeated in secondary school. Kids definitely deserve that break over the summer, plus the xmas break in December. If teachers stopped assigning things to be done at home, then maybe I would be more inclined to believe that year round would actually be a decent idea.
@Sir_bobby88 (8231)
• Singapore
10 May 08
Well my school don't really close yea , we still go back to school during summer yea . it is summer everyday for my country yea .
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
11 May 08
i dont have any idea, but when im still studying we have only vacation onnce a year that will be december, because of we already done evertyhing and enjoy the christmas time not being in school but with family & friends. maybe in other country because of thier weather keep on changing. but still no idea to other country.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
11 May 08
We do have classes for students who have to catch up, but it is not that the whole school is open up. It is like that it may be open for a couple of hours. We also have night school as well, but these are for those who need extra courses. There is not such thing as a school open here all year round and I do not think it is fair to have it that way, because parents want to take their children on vacation. It also means that unless the parents go on vacation in winter, the children who are going to school during the summer might feel out of sorts.
1 person likes this
@toosh21 (800)
• Australia
12 May 08
Here in Australia the schools close over summer, which is also Christmas, for around 6 weeks. I think it's great that the kids can be home for the warmer weather and really enjoy it. The schools don't close over winter here though - just a 2 week break.
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
13 May 08
I don't think they should go in the summer. They need the time off just to blow off steam.
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
6 Jun 08
I think that the summer months should be for fun and relaxation. There's plenty of time during the rest of the year to go to school.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
12 May 08
I Canada children go to school for 10 months a year, or 9 months if they reach high school. So it is only the summer they are off, but there is summer school too where students go to get better at their grades, so they can pass into the next grade.
@itsmepinky (1300)
• India
11 May 08
In our country the schools are closed in summer for summer vacations. In winter we have a festival called "diwali" for which the kids get a vacation for about 12 - 15 days.
~Pinks~
1 person likes this
@fec139 (810)
• United States
11 May 08
Here in New York, school is closed in July and August, but a lot of kids go to summer school, either to repeat courses they failed or to get credits to graduate early. If school was mandatory in summer, there would be a major revolt, because July and August are when it is hot, and the beaches are beautiful. In addition, we have a week of vacation in winter [february] and a week around Christmas, and a week in either March or April [spring break]
1 person likes this
@Malyck (3425)
• Australia
11 May 08
Well, I live in Australia where our climate isn't as drastically cold or hot as it is in other countries, so we basically go to school all year around.
Our school year begins at the end of January or the beginning of February, and we have 4 terms, each going for 10-12 weeks.
Between terms one, two three and four, we have holidays for 2 weeks, our first holidays covering the Easter weekend.
And at the end of the year (around mid-December) we have our long break which is around 6 weeks.
=)
It's the only way that I know, so it would be strange to be in another country and do it differently, but I can see how different places adapt =)
1 person likes this
@jer31558 (3683)
• United States
12 May 08
Though the amount of time our children are off during the summer has lessened, they still have two months off. There are some cities here that do have year round school though not in my area or state as far as I know. I would not have a problem if they wanted to do that in our area.
@potskers (15)
• Philippines
6 Jun 08
well, in our country school starts during rainy season,and school is closed during summer(April-May)
classes will start next week,i just hope not too many typhoon come because its hard to travel and my school is far from our house.hehe
well,
we have summer vacation,
and christmas break about a week off classes.
and a week off for all saints day,
i know its not a vacation hehe,
but here in our country we do not celebrate halloween too much.
i'm just fine with school off for summer because
its the time of the year where we can really enjoy the beaches and just chill out.
@kingcrapper (1536)
• United States
11 May 08
I am a teacher in the United States and we have school late August through early June with a few vacation days in the school year. Traditionally, when the USA was an agrigultural society, children needed to be home to help work with the crops in the summer. This tradition is pretty ingrained. I have been in many discussion with other educators and this will probably not change any time soon. Although there are opportunities for summer school for students who need extra help students usually travel or hang out with friends.
Are you an educator in China or do you know of one I may contact? I am always interested in chatting with other teachers and to get to know one on the other side of the world would be a dream to me. Please add me as a friend if you can help me with this!! :-)
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
11 May 08
Though in singapore, we have no seaons at all, but our schools do still have major breaks twice a year.. ONe is in june, while the other is in december.. I guess they are just following the major countries with winter and summer breaks??
@chrysz (1602)
• Philippines
11 May 08
Here in the Philippines, we have Christmas break aside from sembreaks in mid-October to early days of November. Our summer break is on April to May but some schools are open to accomodate the students that needs additional educational inputs or intervention. I think for some children who are Ok in their schooling, they also need a break and could be enrolled in non-academic classes such as swimming classes, painting, mucis and dance lessons and others that would hone their skills and talents.
@creative_genius (992)
•
10 May 08
I think it is important for kids to have the summer holidays to enjoy being children and not think about school for a while. Many students return refreshed and far more amture after the summer and I think that is a great thing.
@sisterjinx (1135)
• United States
11 May 08
I think that traditional school systems are going to have to look at ways of changing all around. In the USA schools generally run from September through May or June, with vacation in the summer. I like the idea of being closed in the colder months and the very hot months. I think a 2 month vacation in winter and 2 month in summer would be nicer than 3 or 4 months in summer.
I also think that schools need to start considering being open to some kids learning mornings and some in evenings as well as offering elective type classes on the weekends. This way the schedule could be more flexible to students.
@iulyanho (193)
• Romania
11 May 08
Opening school during the sumer????NO WAY!!!in my country the summer vacation is the biggest one and we enter in the vacation when we graduate the year...and in the winter i only have 2 weeks vacation only on the Christmas and the News Year Day...having the summer vacation is the best part for me in the holl year
