The thought of having high school all year with no summer break is daunting for most. Often, this idea of year-round schooling instigates a feeling of disgust for students, but for many people, having year-round school is actually what they consider “normal.”
This type of schooling happens in many places, and in many different ways. For instance, Australia and Korea are two countries that follow a schedule very different from Oregon. Australia has a school year that begins in late January, and ends in mid December, while South Korea is known for having one of the longest school years as well.
There are numerous models of this type of schedule, three of these include: 45/15 plan (45 days of school, followed by 15 days of break), 60/20 plan (60 days of school. Followed by 20 days of school), and the 90/30 plan (90 days of school, followed by 30 days of break).
Why follow one of these models? The answer is to help retain more information. It is common for a student to forget content over summer, holiday break, or even the weekend. Having shorter/more frequent breaks can help with the issue of forgetting information.
Having time off more often can also help prevent academic burnout as well. Offering students more time for rest and rejuvenation will contribute to more motivated students. On the other hand, shorter/frequent breaks can cause more issues with scheduling trips. As well as taking away the opportunity for a student to have a summer job.
Two seniors at Wilsonville High School, Ellie McClelland and Juliana Pearl, both claim they would not like year-round school. “I feel like with tiny breaks you can’t go on any big trips,” says McClelland. “If you were out of town you’d have to race back to be at school, and that sounds annoying.”
How would you feel as a student or a parent if you were a part of a year-round program? While there are various models, they all have their positives and negatives, and work to achieve a better, more convenient education for their students.