Regular School vs. Year-Round Schooling

Compare and Contrast
Essay #2
Traditional Schooling vs. Year-Round Schooling

Education is the fundamental key to our everyday lives. Knowledge is what keeps our economic growth possible. We are all taught, since childhood, that learning is a way to empower one's self, which is why our school systems are an important part of our society. Our futures are determined based on the knowledge obtained throughout our lives. School systems across America (and the world) strive to provide the best education possible to our youth. Modifying school calendars would create differences in extra classes and vacation between year-round and traditional schooling. Despite these differences, both require the same courses and standards, as well as providing child care during school. Considering the vast growth in education importance, children are expanding their knowledge from the beginning of the educational careers. Intersession courses are short classes provided during breaks in a modified school year. These classes include sports, reading, languages, dance, etc; they last for approximately two weeks and are offered after each quarter; four times a year. This is a time-effective way in order for students to continue developing their knowledge. This differs to the regular school schedule where the breaks are at the end of the year. Unlike the traditional agenda, the new school year schedule allows students to choose extra courses they may be interested in. This also exposes students to other subjects that otherwise may not have been covered in a regular school year. This modified school calendar organizes students for their continued education, college; where classes also follow a year- round format. Making the transition at an early age can help children handle confusions or complications in the future. Summer vacation is a cherished gift for students. Vacationing, socializing, and just relaxing are some words that define the summer. Year-round schedules interfere with these plans. In contrast with traditional schooling, the modified agenda permits only one month for summer vacation. Despite the cut back on the leisure time, this schedule implements short two-week breaks throughout the school year. This is a potential benefit factor for those students who may lack educational resources during the summer. A concern for many teachers, as well as parents, is that students tend to forget much of what was taught to them during the school year. As a result, several weeks in the new school year are spent re-teaching previous material. Implementing the year-round program allows teachers to better prepare themselves for the new curriculum; compared to a traditional calendar; where teachers have the whole summer to plan. Changing learning habitats and adjusting to a different summer routine may be difficult to getting use to, but both schedules have similar styles/ ideas as well. The key purpose of schooling is to increase education. This is a constant factor amongst the traditional and modified school calendars. Both agendas propose the same requirement courses as well as extra curricular activities. Students attend school the same amount of required days; yet they are given the choice to register for optional classes. Each grade level has a set of requirement courses. The students are still exposed to the same material, books, and information. Although, one assumes year-round school devotes more time to a specific subject, it actually averages our fairly even. In fact studies have shown that test scores and overall grades, have remained constant between the two alternative school calendars. Student's everyday routine and daily hours remain the same this permits the before and after school program to continue their similar routine. With so many working parents in America, before and after school programs is a necessity in our children's educational system. Many parents rely on child care centers to provide the necessary supervision. Such programs are now made available throughout the school. Different programs give children the option to participate in sport activities promoting one-on-one interaction between the students. Child care programs are a major concern when it comes to determining the child's school schedule. Considering that the year-round program begins a month earlier, schools who welcome this alternative have the before and after school resources available. This is tremendously important when trying to adjust to such schedule changes. Year-round school programs are a growing trend in America. The traditional three month summer vacation is being traded in for numerous breaks in between the year. Although, the free time at the end of the year may differ in length; the intersession classes in between make up for this time. Students still have the option of taking breaks, but at different times throughout the school year. Intersession programs also allow children to interact with other kids who may not necessarily be in their same class, etc; this course is an advantage to expanding their learning. However year-round school can be misleading. Students are still attending school comparatively the same amount of hours, while completing the amount of work required by the State Education Board. Different in the sense it is portrayed, year-round and regular school programs still perform the same functions. Education continues to increase knowledge, and we want the best education for our future.