President Obama made a controversial statement
on education recently. He believes that the school year should be expanded.
President Obama made a controversial
statement on education recently. He believes that the school year should be
expanded. No more summer vacation and a couple more hours added to the school
day.
This is obviously bad news for school age kids, and
some parents aren’t happy about the suggestion either. Some people think kids
are already overworked with studying and extracurricular activities. I actually
don’t think it is a bad idea.
Some studies have shown that
children who attend a year-long school program are more focused and actually
learn more. In my opinion, I think a longer school year and longer school day
can provide kids with some opportunities they don’t get any more. For
example, there are some schools that don’t even have physical education any
more. For a nation that has a problem with obesity, giving students the chance
to exercise during the school day is probably not a bad
idea.
To bring this back to the sheet metal and HVAC
industry, our nation also has a problem with getting young people into the
trades. A longer school year may provide an opportunity to introduce kids to a
career path they may not have thought of. With so many schools working to get
kids college bound, a vocational program gives them another path. Not every kid
wants to go to college, and vocational programs open them up to another option.
And as more and more schools cut their vo-tech programs, the trades industry
loses more potential workers.
So my opinion on the school
year might not be popular with school children, but hopefully it will be
popular with trades workers.
