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Cover Story

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Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Summer Vacation is Too Long

Frederick M. Hess

Frederick M. Hess is the director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that conducts research on many public issues. He says that a long summer vacation doesn't make sense in today's world.

Can American students afford to take a summer vacation? This summer, 50 million kids will spend valuable time instant messaging, watching TV, playing video games and nagging older siblings to take them to the mall. They will also be putting their academic futures at risk.

Summer vacation once made sense--back when you didn't need an education to get a good job. During much of the 20th century, many Americans worked in manufacturing jobs that did not require a college degree but still offered a decent wage. Also, in the 19th century, lack of air conditioning and poor hygiene meant that crowded schools posed health risks.

Things have changed. For today's students, academic skills are critical to future success. Many nations don't give kids an American-style summer vacation. They offer no more than seven consecutive weeks of vacation. Most American school districts offer up to 13 weeks. To compete in the global marketplace, Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors.

Summer vacation also poses challenges for today's families. In the 1960s, more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home mom. Now, two-thirds of American children live in households where every adult works. For these families, summer vacation can be more burden than break. Someone must watch the kids.

But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement. Researchers have found that disadvantaged students lose significant ground in the summertime. And though there are schools in the United States with year-round calendars, those schools enroll only about 2 million kids. That's just 5% of all K-12 students.

A longer school year does not have to be an invitation to drudgery. Rather, it should allow time-pressed teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons. Schools would have more time to devote to athletics, languages, music and the arts.

Summer vacation can be a grand thing. But in the 21st century, it may also be outdated.

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