Changing the Length of School Weeks

By Remy Friedberg ‘28
Golda Och Academy should shift from a five-day to a four-day school week.  
According to a study run in Iceland in 2015, participants were happier and more energetic at work because of their third day of rest. 

Last century, 6-day work and school weeks were the standard, with no limit on how long those days could be. It took until 1938 for America to realize that this model was unrealistic and inhumane, leading to a shift from six-day to five-day work weeks. 
“Four days would be great for the students - they can spend that extra time on extracurriculars, or just socializing. From the teacher's perspective, I would really appreciate that extra day to plan out my lessons, catch up on grading, and even have brunch with other teachers while we work!” said Language Arts teacher Mrs. Godin.
The 2015 study from Iceland, “shows a real success story: shorter working hours have become widespread in Iceland… and the economy is strong across several indicators,” Gudmundur D. Haraldsson, a researcher in the trial, said in a statement according to CNN. 
Four days of school require less energy, and a third day off will give students more opportunities to catch up on missed sleep that they may have lost for the sake of finishing assignments. 
Longer weekends will encourage short getaways instead of long trips, allowing for the breaks students need more often. If this need is satisfied, students won’t go on longer vacations as frequently. Without the need to take long vacations during school weeks, student attendance will improve. 
    Students aren’t the only ones who would be affected by this change, teachers would see the biggest difference in their daily lives. 
Teachers educate all day, wake up earlier than students to prepare for their first classes, leave later, and grade assignments when they return home. 
“As a teacher, my first reaction is to say no way. I like when a class gets into a groove and we can study a piece of literature or work on a written assignment without interruption.  However, considering the facts that are released in the study, it makes sense that more rest time could benefit everyone’s mental health,” said GOA Language Arts teacher Mr. Langer. 
Teachers would benefit from the extra time by using it to catch up on grading, plan lessons ahead of time, add more detail to their lessons and assignments, or just rest so they can continue to function well in their classrooms. 
    Four-day school weeks would reduce the amount of money spent by the school and parents. Every day, students need to make it to school using a mode of transportation, whether it be by car, school-chartered bus or train if they come from the city. 
Bussing is expensive for the school, especially when it needs to cater to students from so many different locations. Reducing the number of days a bus is needed by one day a week would save the costs for up to 36 days a year. 
Freshman Noa Rejwan said, “Most days, I have to pay for the subway to get to the train station, buy a ticket for the train, and then call an Uber to take me from the train station to school. Without a day of that each week, the money would add up.”
Even without the use of school-sponsored transportation, gas and train tickets still cost the parents money. If there were 36 fewer days of paying for gas or train tickets, funds would be available to spend on more productive activities. 
    Removing a school day takes away one day of a parent waking up earlier to get their student to school on time. On that one day, parents can get a little more sleep and, therefore, have sufficient energy for at least one day a week.
While parents of younger children may need to use a daycare service on those days, there is a huge benefit for caregivers seeking employment. Overall, the childcare industry would expand, making significant contributions to the American economy.