The Benefits and Drawbacks of Year-round Schooling
By: Ashley Weng
Introduction
For most students, summer is the time to relax, have fun, and recoup before the new school year begins. However, for those who attend year-round schooling, summer looks a little different. Year-round schooling is when schools evenly spread the necessary days of school across the year. This means they have more frequent breaks, but they completely miss out on a long summer vacation. Especially after COVID-19, year-round schools have become more popular. But is this a good or bad thing for students? Year-round schooling can be beneficial for students by providing a consistent routine and preventing overcrowding, but can also reduce their time for extracurriculars, and they cannot enjoy the summer freely.
When it comes to the year-round education system, school days are distributed evenly throughout the year. Image from Affient Academy
Consistent routine
One of the best reasons that year-round schooling is beneficial for a student is because it provides them with a consistent work flow. Research has shown that “the average student’s achievement scores decline over summer vacation by at least one month’s worth of learning from the previous school year”(Collar). This means that if schools got rid of summer breaks and distributed the school days evenly throughout the year, students would be able to retain and learn more information. This is beneficial for the effectiveness of students' education, as students who attend year-round schooling would be able to grasp more concepts than those who have a long summer break. This means that they will be better prepared for work when they graduate from school, and they can quickly adapt to the year-round jobs that many might start to work at.
Prevent overcrowding
Another reason that year-round schooling is effective is to prevent the ever-growing issue of school overcrowding. Dallas Weekly reports that, “with a high student-to-teacher ratio, it becomes difficult for teachers to manage the classroom effectively and provide individualized attention…” This means that with year-round schooling, students can learn more effectively, and teachers don’t have to worry about having too many students. Year-round schools fix this issue by staggering student attendance using a multi-track calendar system. Different groups of students go to school at different times throughout the year, so not all students are in the building at once. This is an excellent way to ensure that students can get the most out of their learning experience and teachers don’t struggle to manage their students.
Reduces time for extracurriculars
Although year-round schooling is great, it does have its downsides. For example, it reduces time for extracurriculars a student might take in the summer, like sports camps or other classes they might take. Also, students who must attend their jobs to make money routinely will have less time to work, as they would be constantly working on their schoolwork year-round. According to NCES, “recent research suggests that participation in extracurricular activities may increase students’ sense of engagement or attachment to their school.” If students aren’t able to work on their extracurriculars, their attention span and motivation to excel in academics may decrease. Also, some students have such hobbies that help them relax, which they may not be able to do with the year-round schedule. This could lead to the student being anxious and stressed, simply because they do not have the time to invest in their extracurriculars.
Extracurriculars allow a student to relax, have fun, and discover what they are passionate about. Taking that away from them would be taking away some of the things that keep them motivated throughout their lives. Picture by BASIS Charter Schools
Potential Stress
Building off of the last point, students can also experience mental health problems or burnout due to the consistent schedule of year-round schooling. The ongoing cycle of short but consistent breaks usually doesn’t give a student enough time to relax before going back to school again. This could lead to students being discouraged and unmotivated to learn. A survey reports that, “Nearly 90% of Connecticut teachers have seen an increase in stress and anxiety in their students”(Mendez). At least with summer break, which is typically two to three months long, a student has sufficient time to regenerate and prepare for the new school year. With year-round schooling, school is constant, and there are only shorter breaks to fill in the gaps, making the school year feel much longer. This can lead to burnout and mental health problems in students who have to constantly worry about exams and homework, even during the summer.
Conclusion
Overall, year-round schooling presents a mix of benefits and drawbacks for its students. It prevents overcrowding and gives them a consistent routine in their studies, but it also reduces time for their extracurriculars and builds stress and mental health issues. As more and more schools are thinking about developing this year-round system, they have to take both these positives and negatives in consideration. Ultimately, the decision to attend year-round schooling completely depends on the student and what they feel is best for them. Some students may thrive on a consistent learning pace, and they would excel in year-round schooling. While others may find themselves seeking refuge in their hobbies, and would prefer a more traditional education. By recognizing that every student is different, we can make sure each person is enrolled in the school system that best fits them, and it may be year-round schooling.
References
Collar, K. (n.d.). How long-term breaks affect students cognitively. The Prairie News. https://theprairienews.com/32627/showcase/how-long-term-breaks-affect-the-brain/#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20summarized%20their%20discoveries,from%20the%20previous%20school%20year
Dallas Weekly. (2024, July 15). Public Schools Struggle with Overcrowding, Lack of Resources, and Behavioral Issues. https://dallasweekly.com/2024/07/public-schools-struggle-with-overcrowding-lack-of-resources-and-behavioral-issues/
Mendez, D. (2025, April 14). What teens think about Year-Round School. HubPages. https://discover.hubpages.com/education/Year-Round-Education-A-Novel-Concept
Extracurricular participation and student engagement. (n.d.). https://nces.ed.gov/pubs95/web/95741.asp
