Should schools move to a 4 day work week?

Proponents of a four-day school week argue that it offers several benefits, including cost savings, improved student attendance and increased teacher morale. By reducing the number of school days, schools can save money on transportation, food and energy costs.

Why should schools switch to 4 day weekly?

The four-day week idea is closer to year- round school calendars that longer days. A primary reason for the idea is energy savings. Each state prescribes a minimum amount of days, sometimes minutes, that each school district must complete in their calendar.

What are the disadvantages of a 4 day school week?

One study found that the four-day week may hurt reading scores more than math scores. A large study released last year found that the shorter schedule held back student achievement in small-town and suburban districts but had little or no effect in rural districts.

Why is a 4 day school week better for mental health?

Parents repeatedly emphasize its effect on childrens' mental health and overall well-being. Many Life School students and parents report reduced feelings of stress and burnout. A shorter school week means fewer days of intense academics, allowing everyone to recharge over the long weekend.

What percent of people want a 4 day school week?

Public support is growing

Between 2003 and 2023, the public's support for four-day school weeks as a means to save money more than doubled. In 2003, 25 percent of the general public said they would favor the move, compared with 53 percent in 2023, according to the results of polls conducted by PDK International.

Should We Move To A 4-Day Work Week?

What are the pros and cons of a 4 day school week?

Why should school stay 5 days a week?

Even if they might not be able to fully articulate their emotions, children share our sentiments towards inconsistency. Coming to school five days per week provides the best consistency and routine for children, which we believe is fundamental to strong development at this early, formative age.

Does a 4 day school week improve sleep?

A 2021 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 4-day/week elementary kids got more sleep during the school week than 5-day/week kids, but middle and high school sleep remained the same. Call this one a draw.

Does a 4 day school week reduce stress?

A four day school week will help alleviate some of the rising stress levels in our students, while aiming to enhance student, teacher, and parent mental health. It will help provide better opportunities, allow for time to strengthen families, and shift towards student-centered learning.

How does a 4 day school week benefit sleep?

A trimmed school week can positively affect one of the most basic of all human pursuits—sleep. Elementary school kids on the four-day schedule reported sleeping on average 89 minutes more across the school week than did their five-day school counterparts.

Will school ever be 4 days a week?

Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment, although some have questioned the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the ...

Is a 4 day work week better?

Engagement, Wellbeing and Burnout by Number of Days Worked

Overall, employees who work four days a week have 56% thriving wellbeing. For fully on-site employees, those who work four days a week have 57% thriving wellbeing, versus only 49% when working five days a week.

What states have a 4 day school week?

Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado have had four-day schools for a long time. They are a more recent addition in places like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. The states are gatekeepers in a way, mandating a minimum number of instructional days or hours.

Is a 4 day school week better for teachers?

A shorter week makes it easier to staff schools, a particularly challenging task for rural schools, due to their geographic isolation and lower salaries. Proponents of the four-day week also say a shorter workweek could get teachers to reconsider leaving their job, or bring retirees back into the classroom.

Why should schools abolish homework?

Therefore, eliminating homework would provide students with more leisure time, enabling them to rest up and perform at their highest level in class. Additionally, students will not grow overwhelmed due to the immense workload and the stress of doing well. School serves as an exceedingly crucial time in a child's life.

Why 23 Utah schools have moved to 4 day weeks?

On the positive side, some schools report that four-day school weeks are a boon for educators because they have an extra day to plan lessons, grade assignments and attend teacher training opportunities.

How does a 4 day work week help mental health?

It Reduces Stress and Burnout

This is particularly important as experiencing burnout can lead to mistakes at work, missed deadlines, and even job insecurity. Simply working one less day during the week can alleviate a significant amount of work-related stress, reducing the risk of burnout.

Does longer school days cause stress?

With such long hours, the students are often left with little to no time to complete their homework and this can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety. Moreover, the long hours can take away from the quality of education that students are getting.

Does shorter school days improve mental health?

According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, shorter class time could also have positive effects on students' health, such as lower obesity rates, better sleep quality, and fewer mental health issues.

Is 3 hours of sleep enough for a school day?

How much sleep someone needs depends on their age. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.

How long should a 4th grader sleep?

School-Age: School-age children should sleep for a total of 9 to 12 hours every day. The school-age group includes a wider set of ages, and the individual needs of any given child in this group can vary significantly.

What happens if I get 5 hours of sleep for school?

If you only get five hours, your energy levels, mood, and productivity will be lower in the short term, and you'll have a greater risk of serious health conditions in the long term.

Why does school exist?

Rather than every family being individually responsible for education, people soon figured out that it would be easier and more efficient to have a small group of adults teach a larger group of children. In this way, the concept of the school was born.

Will Florida have 4 day school weeks?

Volusia County started four-day school weeks for one of its charter schools this year, and Pasco County will have "mini-breaks" for students in October, February and April created by three shortened school weeks next year.

Who came up with school?

The person who is considered to have invented the concept of school is Horace Mann. Born in 1796, Mann was a pioneer of educational reforms in the US State of Massachusetts. After he became Secretary of Education in 1837, he undertook one of the biggest education reforms in American history.