The idea of a four-day school week has often been ridiculed but has also received some support from teachers and pedagogists. However, within America, with rapidly dropping test scores, attention spans and overall struggles growing, it may not be the best idea.
Judging from the United States’ testing results, students may need all the time they can get in regard to learning. Proponents state that students with reduced class days are less likely to skip class. While this sounds good, reducing the days students must attend does not make overall days missed any more relevant. If someone was missing a target, does moving the target closer make them any better?
A shorter school week in college can make a difference; however, some students are in class or study less than five days a week. One of the biggest issues with a reduced week is that people do not put in as much effort or time in four days as they would in five. Regardless of any impact of a four-day week, some academics would still give subpar effort four days a week rather than five.
According to the NWEA, students who have a four-day school week are two to seven weeks behind in progress compared to one who attends five days a week. Proponents also state that schools and districts save considerably. However, as the NWEA finds, some savings only account for 2 percent. In a small district, this may mean a lot, but in a larger district, it is minuscule to the state funding.
On a parental side, the financial costs and the physical costs may be a considerable drawback. Not every parent works four days a week, nor do they have the ability to care for their child for one extra day. Some say a reduced school week adds flexibility for the student but not for the parent. Child care costs and other child-related costs are skyrocketing, and the idea that a parent must come up with some way to watch their children for an extra day can cause undue stress and uncertainty, all because four days are “less stressful.”
While extracurricular activities can add a meaningful part to any student’s life, being able to attend (especially for younger students) can be dependent on their parents’ ability to bring them there.
The COVID-19 lockdown, one of the unfortunate parts of our recent history, has greatly reduced test scores. Currently, many eighth-grade students are falling behind in reading and test scores. If we do the math, those eighth-grade students were in third grade during COVID, which is a crucial year to not miss any lessons.
By switching to a reduced school schedule, test scores and time in class are reduced. Students who may need extra help or support might not receive it, ultimately making the four-day school week inconclusive in producing any positive results.
The idea that a four-day school week adds any value yields inconclusive results and can disrupt many lives just to improve a single statistic. This demonstrates that attempting to enhance one metric may ultimately undermine the others.
