Imagine every year not getting the coveted three month summer break. Many students cannot even fathom the idea of having their summers consist of sitting in a classroom all day. Although there would be more time for education, there are some drawbacks to having school year round. These include a decrease in family time and relaxation time for students and teachers alike. Therefore, it can confidently be said the negatives outweigh the positives. With that in mind, there are some benefits to having school year round that are worth discussing.

For example, eliminating any sort of long break from school can improve a child’s academic achievements. In fact long summers are known to cause “summer slides,” or the decline of academic skills and knowledge over the course of an extended vacation. In short, students tend to forget a lot during the summer break, so a shorter time away from school may increase retention rates. In fact, this is said to be one of the main reasons why parents tend to encourage the idea of having school year round.

To elaborate, if children don’t have a break, it helps prevent summer learning loss, which is a major issue for kids today. This therefore concludes that the break of education during the summer months may lead to many students’ previous knowledge declining.

With that being said, there are some serious drawbacks to having school year round. The most obvious one for students and teachers is the break that allows them to rest and refocus before the next year begins.

Also, quality family time is important to the emotional and developmental well being of a child. Not having a summer break can make it difficult to schedule meaningful family time and therefore is a turnoff for many families.

With family in mind, students also need real life experiences with their friends. With school year round, students would not be able to take on summer camps or temporary jobs, which could possibly be lost valuable learning experiences.

It is even said that earlier on in the school year, after break, the kids seemed refreshed. They didn’t have the bored, glazed-over look of kids who had been in school for weeks on end with no break in sight. In fact, kids lose their motivation to stay focused when school goes for long periods of time without any break. Surprisingly, it can be said that having a break in the future is just one incentive many students consider to push themselves.

All things have benefits and drawbacks. With that being said, it seems that there are more drawbacks to having school year round for both students and their families. Therefore, school should not be held year round.