Imagine an extra day each week to catch up on sleep, hang out with friends, enjoy time with your family, or just relax.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, this is becoming a reality as an increasing number of schools are switching to a four-day school week.
Cal High and other schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District should also join the daring but beneficial change.
The long established five-day school week is not always ideal. Students have to face a ratio of work to rest days of 5:2 and that can accumulate stress and fatigue, stopping them from learning effectively.
A four-day school week makes this ratio more even (4:3) and could reinvigorate students and increase their learning capability. A study by the Life School of Dallas has shown that a four-day school week helps with mental health and wellbeing, which can lead to potentially higher test scores.
More than 2,100 schools in 26 states have switched to a four-day school week, including 30 percent of Missouri school districts, according to the Journalist’s Resource, which is part of the Harvard Kennedy School. A district in California has adopted this change as well.
Since our state mandates 1,080 hours of instructional time annually, schools making the change would need to add about 1-2 hours per school day.
According to the Stanford Center for Education Policy Analysis, the school districts that have adopted four-day weeks have seen a decrease in bullying by approximately 31 percent and fights by 27 percent.
Benefits reach beyond academics. The extra day given is an extra day to explore new interests outside of school. This could range from trying out a new sport, participating in community service, or even developing a new skill or hobby.
While letting students explore their interests, an extra day will expand their knowledge and give them an open perspective to try out new things.
There may be problems with adjusting the pacing of curriculum to fit a four day week. But with the correct planning and adjustments, teachers can teach key concepts more effectively.
This might foster a more solid understanding of subjects and focus on deeper understanding.
Of course problems could arise with the change. After school clubs and activities would need to become more flexible because they are working around school time, and students who struggle with particular subjects might find themselves floundering in the shortened weeks. Schools could add a tutor program or an extended study session for students requiring help.
But with the correct preparation and planning, clubs can easily organize time to meet, and students who struggle can use the extra day to study and understand material at their own pace.
A four-day school week isn’t just about having an extra day off. It’s a change in the academic ideology.
The four day school week would be great for Cal to adopt because it could benefit students just as many other schools have been in the state and around the country.
