Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world (“Education Quotes”).” A strong education is key, especially to the students in schools right now, preparing to enter the workforce. There has been much debate about whether or not year-round schools should be used more in the United States. Year-round schools have a total of 180 days of instruction, but instead of a long 2-3 month break for summer, the students get about a month off and the rest of the days a distributed throughout the calendar. Some common calendar types for year round schools are 60/20 which is 60 days of instruction and 20 days of break and the 45/15 which is 45 days of instruction and 15 days of break (“Year-Round Education …show more content…
The opposition claims that year-round schooling will prevent teenagers from getting summer jobs and make finding childcare during the breaks impossible (“The Pros and Cons”). However, a simple solution exists to benefit both tennagers and parents of young children. To solve the problem of jobs and childcare, the teenagers that have the same schedule as the children needing babysat could make money watching those children. The teenagers would make money on their own schedule and the parents of children would be able to find a sitter to fit their child’s schedule. Another problem some believe will occur if year-round schooling is introduced is that children would not have enough “down time” over the summer, out of a classroom. However, Matthew Lynch, a former k-12 teacher who researches education policy and reform, writes that “A recent Harvard University study found that school-age children tend to gain weight at a faster pace during the summer months than during the school year, a fact attributed to more time spent in sedentary activities like watching television or using mobile devices instead of being outside or participating in active pursuits.” This means that instead of sitting on a device all summer, students can be walking around school, having recess, or participating in gym class. Even