School Days Too Short?

I can just hear the groaning and booing that would come from students if school days were announced to be longer in length and one day added to the week. But this is the viewpoint of some in the U.S. right now. Their argument is that in order to compete with students abroad, students need to spend more time in school. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says, "I fundamentally think that our school day is too short, our school week is too short and our school year is too short." So does that mean that we will be seeing a change any time soon? Probably not.
There is way to much that goes into changing the school calendar and changing the length of a school day. Personally, I hope that there is no change made. Students are young and cannot focus for longer than they are already required to. If the school day was lengthened, there would less kids making the effort to focus and learn. Also, there is a scheduled summer break for a reason. Students need that break. They need to play and have fun outside of school so that they have the energy and motivation to come back and learn. Motivation would be lost if the time that students were in school was extended. The quality of teaching needs to step up in order for students to be prepared for the competition abroad, not the hours of school per year.

The Associated Press. "U.S. Schools Chief Says Kids Need More Class Time". April 7, 2009.