WASHINGTON, D.C. (YBH.ME) – Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has joined with the President in a desire to create a longer school year for public school students. Duncan, a former head of the Chicago school system, states “those hours from 3 o’clock to 7 o’clock are times of high anxiety for parents.” He continued, “They want their children safe. Families are working one and two and three jobs now to make ends meet and to keep food on the table.”
Education chief pushes for longer school year.
Duncan joined the President in stating that kids in Asian countries, that are currently out-competing the U.S., spend more time in school.
While it is true that kids in many other countries have more school days, it’s not true they all spend more time in school.
Kids in the U.S. spend more hours in school (1,146 instructional hours per year) than do kids in the Asian countries that persistently outscore the U.S. on math and science tests — Singapore (903), Taiwan (1,050), Japan (1,005) and Hong Kong (1,013). That is despite the fact that Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong have longer school years (190 to 201 days) than does the U.S. (180 days).
Some states already have a form of mandatory extended school in place. A Massachusetts program that costs an extra $1,300 per student, or 12 percent to 15 percent more than regular per-student spending, extends school days to polish up on core academics. The program received more than $17.5 million from the state Legislature last year. A Montgomery County, Md., summer program received $1.6 million in federal stimulus dollars to operate this year and next. It runs for only 20 days out of 90 summer days.
Neither the President or Mr. Duncan set a date for a formal plan to be presented to Congress.
