Shorten the High School Day

Shortening college day is an issue which has been argued of late within legislative figures as a result of the growing financial concerns. Though, there are disadvantages as well as blessings related to shortening the school day which ought to be regarded earlier than altering the traditional school day. The major blessings are enough time for extracurricular activities and financial financial savings for the district. Although, those benefits may be counterbalanced through the possibility of spending more days at school each year and reduction in instructional time. This proposal focuses on shortening college day.
Statement Problem
A number of States advocates for the long school day as they trust that by increasing the length of the college day, academic achievements of the students’ would increase and it will give the teachers more planning time (Cooper et al, 38). The long school day is caused by the desire of teachers to earn good salaries and students to score good grades. However, long school days has some effects to the learner such as limited time for social development. Also, teachers will not be able to deliver well because of exhaustion and lack of enough time to plan well. As a result, I would prefer a shorter school day to a longer school day.


Proposed Solutions
I propose that the school day is shortened. Therefore, I propose that school commence at 9.00 a.m then commence at 2.40 p.m.
Steps involved
In order to end the normal school day at 2.40 p.m., I am proposing the following changes:
• No morning form time daily. Period 1 lessons would start at 9 am. Assemblies would take place on a rota over the mornings in form time.
• All lessons every day would be 4 minutes shorter
• Lunchtime would be 15 minutes shorter every day for all students
• After period 5 lessons, other activities will commence
Schedule
9 am to 9.55am – Period 1
9.55am to 10.50am – Period 2
10.50am to 11.10am – Break
11.10am to 12.05pm – Period 3
12.05pm to 12.50pm – Lunch
12.50pm to 1.45pm – Period 4
4 1.45pm to 2.40pm – Period 5
2.50pm to 4.50pm – Students engaging in extra-curricular activities and additional studies.

Budget
Direct Labour $ 0
Food $5
Equipment and materials $0
Transportation $10
Other expenses $ 15
Benefits
Opportunities for Extracurricular Education
By decreasing the amount of time spent in class, the students will be able to participate in vocational experiences, additional education and extracurricular activities in the afternoons. Furthermore, they may have time to look for a part-time job to assist their families and assist them with their expenses at school. In addition, students will be able to take advanced classes, participate in community service and look for internships (cooper et al, 20).
Financial Savings
If school day is shortened, the school district may realize financial savings. Teachers would get less pay since they would work for fewer hours. Also, utilities such as electricity, air conditioning and heating will be used for fewer hours contributing to savings (Matsudaira, 840).
Students would get more Rest
Also, a shorter day would provide the students more time to rest and focus on other important activities. They will do their assignments on time, spend time with friends, engage in sports and go to bed on time as recommended by doctors. They would get at least six hours to eight hours sleep which is good for a person’s health (Gaines, 32).
Conclusions
In conclusion, if the shorter school day program is implemented, it will mean good grades for the students since students will be fresher and able to engage in other studies. Also, it means an opportunity for extracurricular activities in the afternoons; the students will be able to take part in various activities outside the classroom and as well as nature their talents. Moreover, the teachers will be working fewer hours and get less pay thus financial saving o the district. All these benefits outweigh the cost thus making the proposal possible.












Works Cited
Cooper, Harris; Valentine, Jeffrey; Charlton, Kelly and April Melson. “The Effects of Modified School Calendars on Student Achievement and on School and Community Attitudes.” Review of Educational Research 73 (2003): 1-52
Gaines, Gale. “Focus on the School Calendar: The Four-Day School Week.” Southern Regional Education Board. 2008
Matsudaira, Jordan. “Mandatory Summer School and Student Achievement.” Journal of Econometrics 142 (2008): 829-850