OLITICSENTERTAINMENTLIVINGOPINIONOBITUARIESClassifieds Homes Jobs Cars Place an adCustomer ServiceMiami HeraldCOMMUNITY VOICES JUNE 30, 2015 8:00 AMBeyond the Classroom: Should kids get a long summer vacation? Depends on who you askBY LAURIE FUTTERMANlfutterman@dadeschools.net “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”John LubbockAh, summer is finally here. Without the frantic run around, the pace of life has slowed to the norm of days gone by. For some kids, summer begets lazy mornings, pickup games in the park, family outings and time for discovery.But for some, it means days of sitting around the house, watching TV and playing endless hours of video games or being shuffled to affordable summer programs so parents can get to work.So: Two months of summer vacation does allow kids to kick back, but at what academic cost? What happens to learning during this down time?Many Americans consider summertime as a carefree, happy time when “kids can be kids.” We take advantage of enriching experiences like summer camps, time with family, and trips to museums, parks, and libraries.Unfortunately, some youths face anything but tranquil summer months. When the school gates close, many children struggle to access not only educational opportunities, but basic needs like healthy meals and adequate adult supervision.
The truth is, most modern American parents work year round and scramble to find fun, safe, affordable programs during school vacations and holidays that schools take but employers do not.
Some background
So why does school end in June and start back in late August?
As Rachael Stark explains in her article History of the Summer Vacation, and Lucas Reilly explains in his Why Do Students Get Summers Off?, contrary to popular belief, summer vacations did not arise from the need to have the family gather the harvest. Before the Civil War, farm children never had summers off. They went to school during the hottest and coldest months and stayed home during the spring and fall, when families needed help planting and harvesting crops.
And in the city, kids hit the books all year long — summers included. In 1842, Detroit’s academic year lasted 260 days! During the Industrial Revolution, urban schools provided no long summer vacation that modern Americans now take for granted. New immigrant families, like working families today, needed a safe and affordable place for children to stay while parents worked. So, in large cities, children of working parents were in school for an 11-month school year.
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