In the past few years many schools have been opting for a year round school instead of a traditional school schedule. But the question still remains: are year round schools better than traditional school schedules? 

First of all, it’s important to understand what year round schools actually are. The concept of a year round school offers students several shorter breaks scattered throughout the school year instead of a longer summer break. Proponents propose that year round schools avoid student and teacher burnout and increase student attendance. On the other hand, opposers argue that year round schools complicate schedules and take a toll on the tourist economy. 

Pros of year round schooling

Many students look forward to the long, uninterrupted summer breaks full of family vacations and relaxing with friends. However, during this time working parents are forced to make difficult accomodations for their children. Parents’ work must continue while children have a long break, making it difficult to manage work and children. 

To add to that, the elimination of a single long break aids in student learning. Many of us have probably faced the struggle of returning to school after a long break. The abrupt transition from relaxation to strict routines and study habits make the first few months of school difficult for many, if not most, returning students. 

However, year round schooling keeps students on track and improves school attendance and attentiveness. Year round schooling also benefits students as even though the breaks are shorter, students feel refreshed because of the amount of breaks given. 

To summarize, many students, parents and teachers prefer year round schooling as it eliminates long breaks which prevents students from the rough transition from long break to school. However, year round schooling isn’t all it’s cut out to be; there are also several cons to year round schooling. 

Cons of year round schooling 

Opponents of the year round school system state that year round schooling causes many gaps in student education and leads to inconsistent schedules. They argue that these often breaks, no matter how small, cause gapped learning which negatively affects many students and their grades. 

Many families have relatives abroad and make plans to travel out of town or country during the long summer break. If a single summer vacation were to be taken out of students’ schedules then traveling abroad would be difficult which could affect the tourist economy. Around 82% of US adults travel during the summer because of summer vacation which greatly profits the travel companies and keeps balance in our economy. 

Additionally, many students and parents claim that summer is a great season for children to be allowed to roam around freely without the burden of studying. Summer is a great time to visit amusement parks, water parks or just take a walk at the park. All in all, there are many cons to year round schooling causing doubt on whether or not it is a good system. 

10% of US public schools have opted for the year round school schedule as of 2023, but many school districts are still unsure whether this type of school system is even better than traditional school systems. 

The debate about whether or not year round schools are better than traditional school districts are still raging. However, I believe that traditional schools are the best way to go. Having a long break helps students rest and prepare for the upcoming academic year. Eliminating this essential break would necessitate tired and irritable students. In addition, summer breaks are necessary for long-term travel. Some students may also use this long break to indulge in activities they don’t get time for in the school year like theater, sports and other entertainment. 

To conclude, though there are interesting debates on both sides, I support traditional school schedules because a summer break is vital for the mental health of all students.