In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays.
What is the value of long school holidays?
What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?
In various nations, the summer holidays for primary and secondary schools typically last around two months or more. Although this practice allows students to unwind and engage in self-discovery, some would contend that school holidays should be shorter to prevent students from forgetting knowledge and teachers losing their professional momentum.
Long school holidays provide students with an opportunity for relaxation. During these summer months, students can pursue personal hobbies or travel with their families, helping to refresh their minds and better prepare them for the new academic year. This time off also allows them to explore their career interests, enabling them to make more informed decisions regarding their future paths. For example, students can join a wide range of summer camps that place a great emphasis on exposing them to different career options through job shadowing, field trips, and guest speaker sessions. Consequently, such break periods play an instrumental role not only in supporting students’ mental recovery but also guiding them towards self-realization.
On the other hand, proponents of shortening the school summer vacation typically point to a decline in students’ memorization capacity. When students spend an extended period at home without engaging in any mentally demanding activities, they are likely to forget previously acquired knowledge and struggle to keep up with the pace of the class when a new academic year begins. This is especially true with subjects that require students to learn by heart complex theories and formulas such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry, where constant revision is needed to reinforce understanding and ensure long-term retention. Critics of long holidays also highlight a decline in teachers’ professional engagement. For instance, during prolonged breaks, teachers might lose touch with the rhythm of lesson planning and classroom management, making it more difficult for them to deliver quality lessons once school resumes.
In conclusion, although extended summer breaks provide valuable opportunities for relaxation and personal growth, they may also lead to learning loss among students and reduced professional engagement among teachers. Therefore, a more balanced school calendar that allows for rest while still maintaining academic continuity should be considered.
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Various nations các quốc gia khác nhau
Typically thường
Engage in self-discovery thực hiện việc khám phá bản thân
Losing their professional momentum mất đi nhịp độ làm việc
Pursue personal hobbies theo đuổi sở thích cá nhân
Refresh their minds làm cho đầu óc thoải mái
New academic year năm học mới
Explore career interests khám phá sở thích nghề nghiệp
Make informed decisions đưa ra các quyết định có cơ sởAcademic học thuật
Engagement sự tham gia / cam kết
Instrumental có vai trò quan trọng
Recovery sự phục hồi
Self-realization sự nhận thức và phát triển bản thân
Proponent người ủng hộ
Memorization sự ghi nhớ
Capacity năng lực, khả năng
Mentally demanding đòi hỏi về mặt tinh thần
Retention sự duy trì / ghi nhớ lâu dài
Revision sự ôn tập
Reinforce củng cố
Professional chuyên môn
Continuity sự liên tục
Quality chất lượng
Consider cân nhắc
Expose giúp tiếp cận
Guest speaker diễn giả khách mời
Field trip chuyến tham quan thực tế
Career option lựa chọn nghề nghiệp
Personal growth sự phát triển cá nhân