by Barbara Ehrentreu

Created on: August 06, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2010

When I was a child the end of June couldn't come fast enough for me. The sunshine outside the classroom and the thoughts of empty days filled with playing outside and swimming in cool water called to me. I could barely think in those sweaty classrooms. Today we have air conditioned bright and inviting classrooms where the outside world hardly makes a dent. However, students need a break in the daily routine of school for at least a month.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has created in schools a frantic and test driven atmosphere both in the high schools and the primary schools. Teachers who need to be focused on pushing students to pass standardized tests are pretty much burnt out by the end of June. The only ones who might benefit from a year-long school schedule are parents. For working parents this would keep their schedule the same all year. However, businesses which make their living off of students' summer plans such as camps and vacation places would suffer.

Educationally, there are arguments on both sides for students staying in school through the summer. Some kindergarten and first graders who are below level in reading need constant reinforcement so they will not lose the skills that teachers have taught them. However, these students do not need to be in school for this. They can be tutored each day by an educational professional. Or classes can be formed especially for these students. Summer school has always filled a very important gap for some students. I have taught it myself and seen the leaps that students have made in such an informal setting. Six of weeks of summer school can help a student move up at least a grade, but it is not necessary for every student in the school.

Students need time to do nothing. There is not enough time for them to just be children anymore. Everyone's time has to be scheduled all the time, because parents are afraid to let kids be on their own. When I grew up children had to make their own fun all the time. The only time adults controlled you was in a summer camp where even there you had a lot of time to do nothing. Creativity thrives in those moments when we have nothing to do and must invent things. Exploration is one of the tools of education. When a child is left to find things to do they will become more creative. If you schedule them all the time there is very little time to explore on their own.

Therefore, an organized school program all year is not the answer for helping education. If the school wants to be a part of the students' summer programs then it can help by offering its physical surroundings for recreational purposes. Let the schools provide their athletic fields and classrooms for summer camps and local programs. Give the students a break. Let's allow our kids to be kids for as long as they can. Let kids have a few months of freedom so they can appreciate coming back to school in the fall with new energy and enthusiasm.

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