I would like to comment on a classmate's posting, titled Structure and Governance, regarding a proposal to shorten the school week.
I am all for it. But, I disagree with why the current government is proposing it. I believe the only reason the current government is proposing to shorten the school week is to cut costs.
I would like to suggest why shortening the school week may not be a bad idea.
First of all, what is the link between classroom achievement and number of school days? A study from 2007 A study from 2006, shows that Canadian 15-year-old students are among the top in world in math and science. China and Finland were the only other countries that outperformed Canada. According to recent figures, Chinese students and Finish students attend classes for 251 (Barakett and Cleghorn, 19) and 190 a year, respectively. Whereas Canadian students are in school for 185 days a year (Barakett and Cleghorn, 19). This would suggest that more school days equals better performance. But this is not necessarily so. Israeli students are in school for 215 days a year, Swiss students for 207, Italian 204, and English 192 (Barakett and Cleghorn, 19). It could be argued that more school days in the year does not necessarily mean higher student achievement. A 2006/2007 study, of nine-year-old Canadians suggests that other factors such as gender, socioeconomic background, “readiness”, province of residence, and whether the student is from an urban or rural setting, affect student performance. Another study out of the United States, suggests that student performance is more closely related to teacher performance than number of school days. This might be the case, considering all Finish teachers hold at least a Master’s degree, and that the Finish school system is so decentralized that Finish teachers have more room to act as autonomous professionals (source). It can be argued that more school days do not necessarily mean better student achievement. How a teacher teaches may be more important than the number of days the teacher teachers (Barakett and Cleghorn, 18).
There are a few caveats. The danger lies in how these data are used. Was the study of nine-year-old Canadians simply conducted to find that there was a connection between teacher performance, the students’ socioeconomic background, and readiness and achievement just so that those making the decisions can draw attention away from the connection between number of school days and student achievement? Notice that this study does not mention anything about number of school days. We should also question the value of comparing ourselves to other countries.
Caveats aside, I would like to promote a four day school week for another reason. There is caution in this reason because it may suggest that I am dreamer. In the above posting, my classmate mentions that children might go unsupervised because parents/guardians would be at work while the students are out of school. I would like to ask why is it imperative for parents to work five days a week? Who says that working five days a week benefits anyone but the corporate bigwigs? Is a five day workweek absolutely necessary for the economic well-being of a country? [As an aside: A preliminary study shows that long work hours present potential health risks.] What would happen if parents only worked four days a week? If parents only worked four days a week, then they could look after their children. This suggestion is a little simplistic, but would it not work? If schools only operated four days a week, teacher performance might improve too. Remember back to the argument that the better the teacher performance the better the student achievement. From having sat in a teacher’s lounge, it seems to me that teachers may be strapped for time. Imagine if teachers had an extra day of the week to plan, partake in professional development, or simply spend time with their own families. Would teacher performance increase?
I think implementing a four day workweek would take a radical change, which may not happen any time soon. But I think it would be great to dream that a four day workweek would be possible and that it would be out of this world if the shift towards a four day workweek started because of a four day school week.
Addendum:
Just a comment on the issue of not having enough time to teach the curriculum:
I would like to think that we teach children not curriculum. The curriculum is a vehicle for learning, not learning itself. In other words, just because teachers follow the curriculum and cover everything in the curriculum, it does not necessarily mean that the students are actually learning.
Work Cited
Barakett, J, & Cleghorn, A. (2008) Sociology of education: An introductory view from Canada. Toronto: Pearson.
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Nice work!!! I love it.. I do believe it to perhaps be a little farfetched considering most of the things our society values.
ReplyDeleteI think the curriculum issue could be addressed by cutting down summer time, I don't think kids and teachers would be in such a need of summer if we went to a 4 day work week. Summer to me was always a, I need a break from this crazy hectic life. However, that stress would be resolved during the extra day on the weekend. Now I know we discussed a country that had 4 day work weeks and 2 months of holidays (sorry I know my memory is failing me) is that for everyone? Are the 2 months of holiday taking at different times?
I guess maybe my biggest issue with this is that we have created a society of workaholics. Working 14 hour days if not more and maybe having Sunday off... MAYBE! We have created devices so that our work is ALWAYS with us (laptop, blackberry, ...) Does our society really want to leave work at work? I wonder if anyone would be able to follow through with this 4 day work week. People can't even handle just a 5 day work week.
I wonder why it is that people can't leave work at work. Is it because our society is in such turmoil that we don't want to have to think about it? Is it so we don't have to cope with situations around us? Don't have to spend times with the "ones we love"? I just wonder why have we got ourselves so wrapped up in work?
Family time used to happen on the daily basis and now you see television commercials advertise booking time with your family to have family time. It seems almost wrong!
Thanks for getting me thinking :)
-Brandie
Brandie thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteI want to ask you a question. Of which "curriculum issue" do you speak? Are you expressing concern over the time allotted to "cover" curriculum?
I would like to reiterate that I still see curriculum as a vehicle and not as an end to student learning. The process of learning, the skills and attitudes, I believe are more important than the knowledge, which does have its place. Just because there is more content in the curriculum, does not mean that students are learning more. So I do not think that it would be necessary, even with a four day school week, to shorten the summer vacation just so that teachers can cover more of the curriculum. That said, this whole idea of a four day school week and four day work week would also require curriculum reform. As I said, change would have to be radical.
The value of curriculum also came into question in today’s lecture as well when it was suggested that corporations influence curriculum.
Who in “society” needs people with math and science skills? “Society” does not necessarily need this. The part of “society” that does is the corporations that want workers with math and science skills. Since corporations are a dominant force, they are able to influence the government to make changes within the curriculum so that schools will churn out students with the math and science skills that these corporations want.
I am not saying that we should do away with curriculum. We may just need to see the bigger picture. Or is it important for us as future educators to ask questions about curriculum? For example, who says that grade one students are best suited to learning about colours and grade five students are best suited to learning about wetland ecosystems? Is it a corporate agenda? If it is a corporate agenda, then how autonomous are teachers? This is where the teacher should be empowered to see him/herself as an autonomous professional and to see that s/he has options available to shape student learning. I know this position contradicts my previous posting “Autonomous Practitioner,” but if teachers just roll over, then other agendas may find their way into the curriculum. These agendas may not be in the best interest of the students.
I strayed a little from the original topic of the four day work week, but who is to say that the five day work week is good? Is the five day work week just a component in a larger agenda by corporations?
Lastly, I could not find out for sure the country I mentioned in our chat only has four day work weeks and eight weeks worth of vacation time. Sorry.