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Do kids need summer vacation?

SFG75

SFG75

Well-Known Member
Found an interesting blog article featured in the Washington Post. I raise this as I'm currently teaching through the summer in an alternative school. I like the structure of it, though it will be weird to have my time off from february to april rather than the traditional may-july stint. What do you guys think? Just some criticism here-the author is dead wrong in regards to teachers and attitudes about the summer. Most teacher associations don't mind an extended year, and neither do teachers, as it would give them more money from districts. So guess who really opposes it? Of course, the author is from the American Enterprise Institute, one of those "free-market" and laissez-faire PR groups that hates anything and everything that isn't related to the virtuous private sector(i.e.-never mind Enron, Halliburton, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Bacon with Cheese)

Summer Vacation of our discontent.
 
Adults and kids both need a break in which to remember that there is another world outside of (and aside from) those structures.
 
Do kids need summer vacation? YES!
Come on they're kids and God knows childhood slips by so fast. I have such great memories of summercamp, swimming, camp songs, horseback, sleepovers. Can't replace that carefree time with more school. As adults were all so overworked and over regimented. Heck, Adults need summer vacation too. I'm going to submit a petition........
 
StillILearn said:
Adults and kids both need a break in which to remember that there is another world outside of (and aside from) those structures.
Click to expand...

Ah, pretty much what I was going to say. Well said!

I just to add: There is much, if not more, to learn outside of a classroom as there is inside. It's just the lessons are different to those that you learn in school, but they are important ones.
 
Out of interest, how long is the summer vacation in the USA? Because in the UK, kids generally have six weeks for their summer holiday.
 
In the US, we get from around June 12th to the beginning of September off. I wish we were in school longer; summer break becomes extremely boring. I'm taking extra classes over the summer though, so I've been busy.

I think we do need a bit of a break between school years, but too long of a break does no one any good; then we just forget everything.
 
YES.

It's not just the little kids who need it. High school is very stressful and after the exams in May I'm glad to have my (hopefully well earned) break. If we didn't have holidays I think one my friends may have had a nervous breakdown by now. :p

What would happen to holiday based industries if the summer holidays were abolished? Would whole economies crumble? :eek:

This year in Scotland our summer break is 7 weeks long. Perfect. :D
 
The USA summer break is getting shorter. When I was a child we had 10 glorious weeks. Now they have like 6 or 7 I think. It may vary from state to state.
 
I agree with the previous statements that were made in regards to the fact that both kids and adults need summer vacations. Perhaps not such long ones since it does tend to get boring if one has nothing of interest to do.

College students especially need summer breaks. ;)
 
I think schools need them but not college. I pretty much now have four months to try to fill my time with.
 
Teachers need summer vacations.

As to university students they need time to make some money to pay for school.

Kids need a summer vacation for sure. All mine are pleasant memories.

Here in Korea the kids have about six weeks summer and six weeks winter vacation. This saves on air conditioning and heating for the school boards.
 
Kids need the summer holidays for sure, but their parents could probably do without them :D .
 
Yes i think kids and teachers alike need a break,i have watched my eldest put so much into her course work this last term and she is so drained now,this next 6 wks will do her the world of good..
Then back in september getting ready for more course work and her Gcse's....
 
Heck, yes!!! I just think it is a tad too long in some places, like where I live. My children have 11 weeks! Even university students need a break (well, those that actually study during the semester ;) ) I remember when my sister was at university, she was a double major, worked hard for, and made, excellent grades and she went full-time every semester, fall, spring and summer. By the time she graduated, in just three years, she was on the verge of burn-out.
 
I totally agree with the fact that we need a summer vacation. I just got back from summer camp and met soooooooo many new friends and people that I just have to talk to now even though they live like ten or more hours away from me. T_T

I think summer vacation seems long, but is truly very short. I got off school on the last day of May and leave to go back in the second week of August.
 
I believe the NYC Board of Education lets out at the end of June and begins school again sometime in September. It's probably 2.5 months long.
 
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