Publish at November 18 2019 Updated May 01 2025
Shorter working weeks would be the dream of many workers. But is this adaptable to school? After all, with so much material to cover in a school year, could we afford 4-day weeks? In the United States, at least, the question is being asked, and some states are getting more involved.
Of the 50 U.S. states, Colorado is leading the way in this transformation of the school timetable. Indeed, a majority of districts, particularly in rural areas, are proposing 4-day weeks. But what do students do on the fifth day? Many initiatives have been thought up by the district and non-profit associations so as not to simply offer idleness to young people.
In this part of the American West, some young people take part in rodeos on this day, or ski in the mountains. Others take up woodworking at a local factory, or work on robotics, programming and other projects. Sometimes, the children return to school but work more on scientific and other projects that have nothing to do with the official school curriculum.
One project, launched in September 2019, puts students in contact with local businesses. There, they learn how to build a small business and develop a sense of entrepreneurship. A more formal way of getting to know local entrepreneurs. And then, in rural areas, many young people help their families or neighbors with day-to-day farming tasks.
The 4-day week may seem like a driving force for communities. And indeed, well organized, it can be. For the moment, however, the main interest of the American states is financial. Having to pay school personnel for only 4 days instead of five leads to savings.
And already, the savings aren't that great. For example, the Granby district in Colorado saved only $206,000 on a budget of $5.5 million. What's more, this puts many families in hardship. Unless they have access to free or low-cost activities, it becomes difficult for the poorest families to provide childcare for a day each week. Many report that this is easier to organize in small communities or rural areas than in cities.
And not everyone in Colorado is happy about it. It lengthens the school day, which can be difficult for some young people. What's more, these changes have been made without any real research into the benefits. And there are many conflicting studies. Some claim that the extra day off leads to more juvenile delinquency, while others say the opposite. The same applies to school performance, which is said to be either better or slightly lower, depending on who is cited.
Nevertheless, the model also has its benefits: already, it offers respite not only to learners, but also to teaching staff. What's more, staff recruitment is easier in districts that have taken this route. More candidates want to work, and requests for sick leave are down. In fact, even among students, the absence rate drops with this schedule.
And, as some districts in Colorado are demonstrating, the potential for students to access informal learning and help the community through volunteering is there. However, these environments need to be prepared to offer activities so as to avoid putting families in a bind, or having learners just sit passively in front of screens. In fact, this report from New Mexico shows all the hazards and benefits of this approach. Perhaps it needs to be adopted on a smaller scale before cities follow suit.
Illustration : congerdesign from Pixabay
References
Brown, Jennifer. "Colorado Now Has More School Districts on Four-day Weeks Than Any Place in the Nation - with Little Research on the Benefits." The Colorado Sun. Last updated August 27, 2019.
https://coloradosun.com/2019/08/27/four-day-school-weeks-in-colorado/
Cardoza, Kavitha. "What This School District Learned from a 4-day Week." PBS NewsHour. Last updated: August 28, 2018.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-this-school-district-learned-from-a-4-day-week
Mulvahill, Elizabeth. "25 States Are Testing 4-Day School Weeks 'Will Yours Be Next?" WeAreTeachers. Last updated: June 20, 2019.
https://www.weareteachers.com/4-day-school-weeks/
Reggoli, Natalie. "12 Pros and Cons of a 4 Day School Week." Vittana.org. Accessed November 15, 2019.
https://vittana.org/12-pros-and-cons-of-a-4-day-school-week
Simpson, Kevin, and Tamara Chuang. "In Mostly Rural Colorado, the Four-day School Week Has Taken Hold. But What Do Communities Do with 'Fifth Day?" The Colorado Sun. Last updated August 28, 2019.
https://coloradosun.com/2019/08/28/fifth-day-colorado-schools/
"Why US Schools Are Moving Towards Four-day School Weeks." Study International. Last updated: June 27, 2019.
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/why-us-schools-are-moving-towards-four-day-school-weeks/
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