Few things in life are free, and public school is one of them. The lessons taught in today’s classrooms will be seen in the years to come as students enter college and eventually the working world. Our public school system owes it to children to give them the tools for success. And an extra hour a week may be just what the kids need.
Elementary school is a place where lessons and values are formed as children learn to share and express themselves. However, it is also a place where receiving an education is top priority.
According to The Gainesville Sun, seven Alachua County schools are holding students an hour later in hopes of improving standardized test scores. In these 60 minutes, teachers can give more personal attention to struggling students.
The bonus hour was created in response to the poor FCAT results from last spring. The 100 Florida elementary schools with the lowest scores would have more classroom time. Seven Alachua County schools made the cut.
While this may seem like a punishment, it is the best thing the government can do for the children. More hours spent learning keeps children entertained longer and equals less time to cause trouble.
In actuality, all elementary school students could greatly benefit from this extra hour of instruction. Instead of supporting state programs that do not provide direct results, our state needs to invest in the future. That is, it needs to spend the money on education now so the educational system provides what it should for the thousands of children in Florida that it supports.
Adding an hour to a school day creates a positive ripple effect.
Not only would children learn more and have a more valuable education, but also parents would be able to work longer hours knowing that their children are in good hands. Many children with two employed parents attend after-school programs, so lengthening the school day would only give them an educational boost and not create any kind of disturbance in their daily routines.
The money that is spent to finance after-school programs can add the extra hour of education. Therefore, the expense of lengthening a school day would not be as great.
Children must work to receive their educations, but they must be met halfway. The decreased budgets for sports and arts programs is a true testament to what our society really considers important. Studies have proven time and time again that creative and physical outlets are necessary for growing children.
The budget committee obviously does not give much credibility to such studies, as they continually cut funding for the programs.
The national deficit is now out the window, and the additional zeros behind the front numbers send a shiver down my spine. If we are willing to leave the rising generations with this massive problem, they need a solid foundation for their education.
Elementary school children of today will be taking over the broken economy of tomorrow. We owe it to them to give them an education that will serve as a foundation for the remainder of their lives.
We live in a society focused on moving forward and always reaching for the newest, biggest and best things. Children who do not have a top education may not accelerate at this momentum, which potentially sets the pace for their entire lives.
What are we teaching children if we cannot even grant them the education they rightfully deserve? Increasing funds for public education and ultimately giving students more time to learn will open an endless amount of possibilities for the next era.
Abby Wolz is a health sciences freshman at UF. Her column appears on Thursdays.
