8/11/2019 Advantages of having grades K to 12 are.docx

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Advantages of having grades K to 12 are:

Children receive an education that starts with the simplest concepts and build on them each year as they get older.

All children can be educated.

Disadvantages of having grades K to 12 are:

In a classroom setting, subjects are often separate and students do not see how one subject relates to another.

A classroom environment is an unnatural learning environment.

Students most often do not get to explore their own talents and interests

THIS DEBATE is on whether the government should put its limited resources on the Enhanced K-12 Basic Education Program which will add two

years to our present 10-year basic education. The enhanced K-12 program as many now know, will have kindergarten, 6 years of elementary

education, four years of junior high school (Grades 7 to 10), and two years of senior high school.

According to the 2010 Department of Education Briefing Report, the last two years (Grades 11 and 12) will provide time for the student to

consolidate acquired academic skills and competencies. It plans to complete the enhanced 12-year curriculum and start with incoming Grade 1

students of SY 2012-13. The rationale for the two years is to decongest and enhance basic education curricula, provide quality learning, and be at

par with other countries in Asia which provide more years for basic education. Now, a lot of students were alarmed. Some argues that this

program will serve as an extra expense of our government while some says its a big opportunity for us to prod uce well experienced, competitive

and international skilled graduates.

Advantages

Proponents of year-round school cite:Multi-tracking allows more cost-effective use of school facilities (classroom space, computer labs, libraries, mediaresources) as well as staff resources (education specialists such as physical education, foreign languages, music, art,therapists and counselors).Reduce class sizes and overcrowding in classroomsAlleviate need for new school constructionTeachers may spend less classroom time reviewing mater ial since less time elapses between school sessionsInter sessions may be used for remediation courses and tutoring, or for enrichment activitiesPrevention of student and teacher burnout

Decrease of teacher and student absences due to shorter instructional cyclesIncreased opportunities for extra help and studying.Increased opportunities for volunteering in the communityShorter breaks from school encourage students to stay involved with athletics and provide less time to become

couch potatoesFlexible staffing patterns and alternative salary and benefit programsRelevant surveys in year-round districts indicate that 64% of teachers prefer year-round education, while only 20%oppose it (remainder are neutral). A Utah State Board of Education survey indicated 84% of teachers preferred theyear round calendar.New York State Board of Regents study concluded that disadvantaged students lose 27% more learn ing oversummer months than their peers.

For older students, employment may be easier to obtain as there is less competition.More opportunities for family vacations. Vacations can be taken at off-peak times reducing overall costs are andproducing a more rewarding experience. Increased vacation opportunities encourages parents to take more, smallervacations closer to home rather than 1 long expensive one out of state.DISADVANTAGES

Year-round schools show little to no academic improvement due to the calendar change.Multi-tracking, while cost effective in the short term, actually ends up costing more due to higher utility costs, lessor no down time for building maintenance, and the loss of opportunity to build before the cost of labor and materialsrise after population increases force the building of new facilities. Multi-tracking does not alleviate the need for newschool construction, it merely puts off the decision t o build until it is even more cost prohibitive, thus l ockingcommunities into overcrowded schools and multi-tracking year-round calendars.

Multi-tracking can cause family and community disintegration. This occurs when siblings/neighbors are on differenttracks. Further disintegration is seen when extended family and church members are on different tracks, or in thecase of single-tracking, different inter sessions.Teachers' ability to attend college classes in the summer is compromised due to a year-round calendar.Teachers who have children in a year-round school, but teach in a non year-round school, or in a year-round schoolon a different track or calendar, are not able to vacation at the same time during the year or the summer as theirfamily.Teachers have more problems with children staying focused before a break, and upon return due to the morefrequent breaks throughout the year.Students on year-round calendars tend to lose out on summer employment to their non year-round counterparts.

Student burnout can increase due to the reduction in down time during the summer.Advanced placement classes are sometimes removed in favor of year-round calendars.Students in year-round schools have more opportunities to forget what they learned due to the added and ebreaks throughout the year.Summer school, where classes can be taken for credit are replaced with inter sessions. throughout the yearcredit.Inter sessions. tend to turn into play time as inter session content turns into fluff classes and sometimes tacommunity volunteers with no background check required.Curriculum and materials for the normal school year are approved by the board, but curriculum and materiainter sessions. are not.Community members who want to maintain family time and traditions are pitted against those in favor of thchange causing community division.School districts frequently employ deceptive methods to push the calendar through. Many surveys are framyield a predetermined result, yet only the numbers are reported.Difficulty in scheduling school-wide events such as student assemblies, open-house, or PTA meetings and ofunctions because at least 1 track is out of school at any point in t ime.Child care is more difficult to obtain.Some health problems are seen when conducting school activities and classes in the summer heat.People find it hard to pay attention.