Summer vacation is almost over most kids, four or five weeks left before school begins, but some students in West Michigan went back to school this morning.

If your child is enrolled in a year-round school, then your summer breaks are on a different schedule than a traditional school. Ridgepark Charter Academy is one of the year-round schools in West Michigan that are kicking off classes this week.  The Academy says the year-round schedule is helpful in minimizing summer learning loss.

The Grand Rapids Public Schools that are on a year-round schedule begin classes on August 11th.

Why are traditional school calendars set up with such a long summer break in the first place? When public schooling became available to students, our society was mainly agricultural and children were needed during the summer months to help maintain and gather crops. Today’s society is a technological society and there is no longer a demand for child labor during the three month summer vacation. Nowadays, many students work a part time job or spend their summer at home alone while parents work.

What do you think?  Should we have year-round schooling or keep the system the way it is?  How would it affect your family?

 

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