Do American schoolkids get too much time off? Should they follow the example of other developed nations?
355173
American children do get too much time off. For one, the government has made week long vacations for holiday seasons(for example, most students get two to three weeks of rest for winter alone). Second, because of the religious and ethnic diversity of the nation, holidays of all types are being made into federal vacation days (Such as Jewish and Islamic festivals) Third, because of the sum of money needed to pay teachers to essentially babysit (Come on, American schools are just not that good anymore!), the government made summer vacation, an entire three month long rest with very little purpose. \nI personally do think that school should be all year. Most come back from summer forgetting everything from the previous year, and year-round schooling would resolve that while decreasing laziness and drop-out rates, most of which are very high.
894577
I am a teacher - so I would say it isnt just to make money. I love my job! Being with kids is awesome! Some people are with child-like minds all day but there is no excuse for their behavior. My social world for 7 hours out of my day is 9 year olds and they are blessings - each one of them.
100701
We have them in my school. The kids are amazingly responsible...but it's an overseas international school (with kids from over 40 different countries). The rules are totally different over here.
529227
Unfortunately, the public school system in america is not taken seriously enough.  Further, the students who attend our public school system (even through college) are continuiously torn down by teachers, principals, and even unknowingly, their parents.  This is done by teaching the youth of america that they should "Go to school and get a good job", when what that's actually doing is teaching a person to wear a slaves collar for the rest of their lives, be it blue or white.  A slave to the economy, to the boss who says when you can have time off, when you cant go to your kids birthday party, and how much money you should be paid per hour.  But then, there are people like me who try to teach, who show our fellow Americans that there is a way to regain their freedom, to life a life not having to give away 40+ hours a week to a job they hate, to a boss who on a bad day can put that persons name on a piece of paper, and end their job on the spot.  This country was founded on Free Enterprise, on farmers and merchants who owned businesses, however small some might have been.  Other countries, Japan for instance, still teach that kind of mentality.  Yes, education is important for it, but a major part of the problem is the angle that American schools take - and that is to teach people to be employees, not to be the employeer.\n\nSo it falls to us who try to help people after they get their flawed education, to try to free them from the system.  Show them a way to take back their lives, to decide themselves how much they will make an hour.  What hours they want to spend working, even if that's none at all.  Far too many people have had the dreamlessness of the failing American Dream drilled into them too hard anymore though, and it's impossible to free a person who prefers the collar.  Ah well.
98852
My kids get a half hour a day if they have earned it. They watch more on weekends but most weekends are so busy they are lucky if there is time.
455505
I am a grown man,but I remember homework,and I agree that it is not right.The education system is paid to teach our children and kids are required to spend,eight full hours a day of their lives in school.Five days a week,and three quarters of the year.Their time at home should be their FREE time.Tottally unconnected with school and schoolwork.If eight hours a day isn`t enough to teach them,then something is wrong with the system.
385448
I think students get too much homework.  In fact, with rare exception, I don't think students should get homework at all.  If they are required to study on there own, they should be given the time to do it during school hours (without extending the school day).\n\nAfter spending all day in school, students should not have to go home and do homework.  When do they have time to be kids?  [Weekends aren't enough.]
706122
The reason for the "vacation" was because the kids weren't going to be in school anyway.  They were busy with harvest.  It was critical to the community that everyone work.  Today, it is called a vacation.  Personally, I think that kids don't see enough family time.  I also believe that they don't see much during the summer either.  Children start school earlier and earlier.  By law, they have to start school at four years of age.  It isn't enforced, but it is the law.  That's 14 years of school before college, and they want the summers too.
962955
I think you should come (stay in) America. There are so many great things you can do. America has educated and produced some of the worlds best thinkers. We have great extra curricular activities and hard-working proffesers and scholars who work all year around to make sure that the next genneration has what it needs to make a difference.
1161901
Face it, who is getting paid to "teach" the children, Teachers are.  In todays society, people want someone else to blame and since we are getting paid to work with the children, we shoulder the blame.  It is not fair, I agree.  When I see a child for 45 min. a day, approximately 180 days a year, I should not be the fall-guy.  Get real!
223738
I think it would be beneficial.  The kids would have more learning time and be better prepared for the real world and careers where you don't get 3 months off out of the year, you work year round.
33233
In some countries (not the US), they just teach things and sometimes don't teach the kids how to think about the subject (asking questions and writing reactions). In the US, they sometimes focus more on using your knowledge to make questions and reactions. Also the US also sometimes focuses on self-esteem.
805574
While I am not a teacher at present I will tell you the experience of our sons.  In a transfer that took our family from the States to France our sons struggled with the strict atmosphere and lack of help for the students in the international school we put them in (hoping it would be better suited to them. . . . .wrong).  Time was not given to do any work at school, that was to be done at home and turned in promptly,  they had no problem holding students back a year until the school believed they could pass the exams that were given every couple of years which tested on ALL aspects of learning within those years (the Bacculaureate covered all years in school and if you did not score high enough on just one portion (math, language,etc.) you were made to repeat the entire year again.\n\nAfter 1 1/2 years of this and the school wanting to put our sons back 2 years because they didn't think their French was good enough to pass the tests, we found an American school in Switzerland and they finished their high school there.  \n\nHomework is the key.  In the States it was never cool to be at home doing your homework.  However, in Europe you will not survive school without doing homework.  At their school in Switzerland there was mandatory study hall 3 hours EVERY night.  In France the teenagers had little time to do anything because they were always at home or the library doing their homework.  \n\nThe students were prepared the minute they entered the classroom to learn.  They were respectful to the teachers as well as to each other and quiet when the teacher was talking.  This provided a reason for the teachers to be respectful of them as well and willing to listen to their ideas and suggestions.\n\nThey also had field trips to learn about the country they were living in and to show their gratitude to the city where they went to school, they did continutal service projects for the city in many ways, i.e. beautification of town square, mentoring younger towns children, helping on the ski slopes when needed.  Because of this the town loved them, trusted them and at graduation would hang out windows and doorways to wave and shout congratulations to them.\n\nI can't think of a better way to learn.  Not just from books, but to learn first hand about a culture.  Oh, and by the way - out of the 250 students, there were 47 countries represented.  The school was very dilegent in making sure everyone had several countries represented in their dorms which held 4 students.  This gave them one on one contact in both learning and dealing with other cultures and customs.  Not all of them were stellar roommates, but the students did learn tolerance.  How great is that.
555515
As a teacher in the public school system, I see a direct correlation between proper parental involvement and student success. By proper I mean genuine concern and taking personal responsibility for helping their child succeed. I think too many parents are overworked and stressed, not home often enough, or are too busy keeping up with hyperactive schedules to spend the energy it takes to invest in their child's education and teach proper behaviors and habits. Many parents are also trying to be their kid's friend instead of an authority figure. All too often the parents that rant the loudest about the public school system's failures are the ones who refuse to see their child's faults. They blame the school, teachers, administrators and the government for not doing enough or for picking on their kid. Yet, as teachers, there is only so much we can do. I can teach, tutor, follow IEPs, use every resources I can find or create, teach good study habits, use multiple approaches to the topics, call parents, meet with councilors, be highly qualified, try to leave no child behind, and create a positive and stimulating environment, yet I cannot make a child learn. Students, with the help their parents, must take on the responsibility. \nAll of that being said, they are good parents and good teachers that are working together to help children succeed. Just the same as there are those who could do much more. \n\nTo those who invest the time and energy into the education of children, be it their own or other's, Thank you very much. Keep up the good work.
127583
No, the children in the U.S. are not as educated as in other countries. In many European countries, every student who graduates from secondary school has studied advanced math, chemistry, physics, biology, and can speak, read, write, and understand at least two foreign languages. In the U.S. students can graduate having taken Algebra 1 and Geometry, two years of science, and a year or two of a foreign language - taught from the perspective of "we will never need this, except to graduate from school, so it doesnt matter if we can even say 'where is the toilet' in the language we are studying". It is appaling that the U.S. has such low education standards when they insist they are the most civilized and advanced nation.
796293
Yes I do think that kids here in the US try to grow up too fast. Congrats to you -enjoy being a kid, there is plenty of time for grown up stuff later.
81815
It depends on a lot of variables... How old the child is, how long you spent with the child if you were not working before, and if there is personal support for you on your decision which reflects onto the childs view point. \n\nYou are not the only one in the childs life, right? We are not just a product of our home environment, but our outside one as well. As long as you are involved with the child, constructively communicate, set aside quality time one on one, and lead by example in standing up for what is right and true...then working shouldn't have anything to do with your child's behavior. \n\nNow, if the child is of school age and is showing signs of negative behavior, then you might consider the public school system. It is actually set up to encourage (often not directly) bad behavior in kids today. Read: The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto (a teacher in the public school system), or see the book: Dumbing Us Down, for more information on the subject.