Essay 45:
There I was, I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was in sixth grade sitting at home on a
Friday night furiously working on a mountain of homework. I can even remember the bane of my
existence, W.D. and S. In case this assignment was limited to my class, let me briefly explain. W.D. and
S. stood for words, definitions, and sentences. We, as students, were given a list of words and had to
give the definition and also use the word in a sentence. I will freely admit that this was all good practice,
but the large list of words that was assigned was the death knell for any plans that I or my classmates
may have had. The effect these isolated weekends had on my class can not be under-stated. We
became hermits who had trouble interacting with each other. I n fact, I don’t recall anybody dating until
high school! At this point, I hope that this story is understood as hyperbolic. This illustrative example
was framed in response to an article that appeared in the New York Times on September 26, 2011. The
title and subject of this article is, “Should the School Day Be Longer?” This article consists of five
authors’ short essays covering both sides of the argument. There is a growing opinion that America’s
education woes can be attributed to a shorter school day than other industrialized nations. Although
many say that a longer school day is needed, I say that the school day should not be lengthened because
it causes harmful stress to the student and takes away vital, developmental social time.
The school day should not be lengthened because it adds stress to an already over-stressed
student. One only has to look at how many students from elementary to high school are on medication
of one sort or another. In fact, there are a record number of students on medication at present.
Today’s students suffer from illnesses that heretofore were reserved for adults, or at least older teens.
High anxiety levels, panic attacks, and depression are affecting more and more children every year.
These ailments are the direct result of the heavy course load that students face every academic year.
This point is expertly stated by Vickie Abeles in her essay for the New York Times piece, “Quality vs. Time
in the Classroom.” She states, in part, “Many of our children are already stretched to unhealthy
breaking points, loaded down with excessive homework, extracurricular activities and outside
tutoring…” Ms. Abeles also states, “This has led to an epidemic of anxious, unhealthy, sleep-deprived,
burnt-out, disengaged, unprepared children…” I could not agree with Ms. Abeles more. Imagine
lengthening the school day. What would be the outcome on today’s youth? Of course, many point out
that we must emulate the countries that we are falling behind to, academically speaking. Geoffrey
Canada makes this point his contribution to the New York Times article, “”help for Parents and Society.”
In this article, Mr. Canada gives many reasons that he feels warrant a longer school day. There is one
quote in particular that I would like to address. Mr. Canada state: “Meanwhile, our global competitors
are keeping students in school longer, giving them a better shot at success.” Mr. Canada no doubt had
Japan in mind when he made that statement. I would be curious to know what the teen suicide rate is
in Japan for teens and young adults. It seems baffling to me for the mental health of the student to left
out of the argument. I have seen the damage that loads of assignments and the pressure to succeed can
do to a teenager. I had a friend named Brad from elementary school through high school. He was, like
the rest of us, loaded down with ridiculous amounts of assignments. The added stress that he had,
however, was an expectation of his success. Brad’s time with his studies caused him to be stressed to
the point of exhaustion, not to mention, dangerously depressed. In effect, he was separated from his
peers and not given the chance to interact and develop as a person. This led to him being seen as odd
and socially inept. This leads me to my next point.
A longer school day would take away vital social time which is necessary to a student’s healthy
development. Again, Vickie Abeles, in her essay, “Quality vs. Time in the Classroom,” hits the nail on
the head. She states, “Young people need time outside of school to develop as a whole person. The
need time to grow creatively, physically, socially, and emotionally, not just academically.” I believe that
the amount we immerse the younger generation in academics should be balanced with socialization
outside of school. If the balance is skewed, you may end up with a hermit who has an I.Q. of 180. Sure,
he may be the smartest man in the country, but his social ineptness may damage his future career
prospects. This man, though he excelled in academics, did not develop into a well rounded adult.
Balance is definitely needed. Of course, my hyperbolic example in the introduction is not likely to
happen, but, I hope the point was well-taken. I attended a martial arts class throughout junior high and
high school that taught me valuable lessons that I still use today. This was an after school program that
wouldn’t be possible if the school day was lengthened. I knew many other students who attended
church programs and other social activities. I fear that if the school day was lengthened, the filler would
not be as beneficial as the previous examples. The issue will inevitably arise concerning the out of
school development of the poor and those who have very busy parents. In this case, the schools should
offer alternatives to those who have no opportunity for extra-curricular activities on their own time. My
opposition arises when the school would force extra class time on all students. Allow the extra
programs offered by a longer school day to be optional. Academia should not assume that it knows
what is best for every child. In fact, I agree with the sentiment shared by Vern Williams in his essay, “Let
Teachers Teach.” He states, in part: “I fear that if the school day is extended …. the extra time might be
used for activities that are nothing more than glorified recess or unstructured study halls.” Again, I must
state, the lengthening of the school day would be detrimental to the development of students.
At this point we are still left with the core problem of our schools falling behind the rest of the
world. Isn’t it possible that this has to do with the rigid system that is put in place that stifles teacher’s
freedom and creativity to teach how they best see fit? Couldn’t the answer be quality over quantity? I
do not think more intrusion into students lives is the answer. The reward does not outweigh the risks
involved with a longer day. If we are not careful, we may end up with a generation that is tranquilized
through medication and socially inept.