Matches Parents Schedules
Currently, most K-12 schools dismiss their students in the mid-afternoon. This is often several hours before parents are finished working for the day. In order to ensure that their children are taken care of, many parents must find daycare options or enroll their kids in after-school programs. Still other parents are forced to work fewer hours because they cannot afford additional childcare. The scheduling problems and financial worries that come from a short school day could be remedied with an 8-hour school day during working hours.
Additional Instruction Time
One of the strongest positions for lengthening the school day is that it would give more time for instruction. Schools used to focus on basic academics like reading, writing and math. However, today we know that students need to be immersed in science, technology, math and engineering subjects. We also know that students need time to practice social and emotional skills as well as other non-academic skills like critical thinking and communication. These skills are highly sought after by employers. Therefore, adding instruction time during the day would allow students to be more prepared for college and careers.
More Time For The Arts
Additional arts and physical education classes could come with additional instruction time. Many of these subjects have been labeled as “extras” and are often the first to be cut when school budgets are in peril. However, most parents and teachers will tell you that arts education is important. With the lengthening of the school day, students may be able to take art, theater, music and physical education classes.
More Time For Play
In many schools, recess is being cut to a bare minimum. Even in the youngest grades where children learn both academics and social skills through play, recess time is diminishing. This is all in favor of additional academic learning time. As standardized testing and learning becomes more rigorous, teachers must cut down on the time that students spend playing.
However, most people agree that play is important for child development even for older children. Having free time during the school day allows the learning to develop and gives students a time to rest. With additional time in the school day, more time for play, recess and mindfulness this could be built into the daily schedule of students.
Prepares Students For The Future
Whether students go directly into a career after high school or go to college in order to prepare for a career, they will likely be expected to work eight hours a day on the job, if not more. Extending the school day helps students prepare for their expectations when they graduate and join the workforce. The current six-and-a-half-hour day was structured around students having to leave school and work on their families' farms and ranches at the end of the day. This calendar based on an agrarian lifestyle no longer make sense or prepares students for what they will need to know in the information age.
