Does 4 day school week improve mental health?

On the mental health side, students with four-day weeks had improved sleep, getting more hours of sleep a night and feeling less tired. Ninety percent of high school students said they spent their extra day at home, giving students a day of rest from schoolwork and being at school.

How does a 4 day school week benefit students mental health?

When schools moved to four-day weeks, Morton found bullying incidents decreased 39 percent, or . 65 fewer incidents reported per 100 students, compared to bullying rates before the schedule change. Fighting and assaults dropped by .

Why should schools have a 4 day week?

Districts that adopt the four-day week do it in order to save money and improve attendance rates and teacher recruitment and retention, according to a 2021 study by the Rand Corporation, which included data from Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri and South Dakota.

Are 4 day school weeks better?

A 2022 study that looks at four-day school schedules in 12 states reveals that student test scores in math and language arts fell slightly at schools operating an average of 29.95 hours per week. Test scores did not change at schools operating 31.03 hours or more during their four-day weeks, on average.

Do longer school days affect students mental health?

More hours in the school day could possibly increase stress and pressure on the students due to increased workload and lack of time outside of class to complete work. These factors combined could affect their mental health in a negative way.

Why you should take a break: Prioritizing mental health in schools | Hailey Hardcastle | TEDxSalem

Do students benefit from longer school days?

An expanded school schedule engages students more fully, and children learn better in a more stimulating environment. By reducing the pressure on the system to cram math and reading and science into too few hours, the new school day opens up the schedule for subjects that students enjoy and teachers like to teach.

Are shorter school days better?

Shortening the school day could give kids and teens more time for movement, brain breaks, and other activities proven to boost learning outcomes among other benefits. With more opportunities to move around and worry less about following classroom rules, kids could be better prepared to focus when it counts.

Is there any negative consequences of 4-day week?

Here's what you need to know: Pros of a 4-day workweek can include cost savings, increased productivity, and employee retention. Some disadvantages, however, can include scheduling challenges, reduced producivity, and added stress.

Why should school be 5 days a week instead of 4?

Coming to school five days per week provides the best consistency and routine for children, which we believe is fundamental to strong development at this early, formative age.

What are the cons of a 4-day school week?

Should we have a 4 day school week pros and cons?

There have been several studies that reported the 4-day school week had positive effects on student's math and reading scores. On the other hand, there have been studies that found no significant difference in overall academic achievement between four-day districts and five-day districts.

What are the benefits of a 4 day week?

The four-day workweek is becoming increasingly popular as companies strive to find unique ways to support their employees' mental health and happiness. Some of the main benefits of a shorter workweek include increased productivity, decreased business expenses, and a smaller carbon footprint.

What state only has 4 days of school?

What States Have Four-Day School Weeks? Several states have introduced four day school weeks, including Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Oregon. In fact, 60 percent of Colorado's districts and around 40 percent of New Mexico and Oregon's districts have implemented a four-day school week.

Does a 4 day school week reduce stress?

Better Teacher and Student Morale

Some students feel the four-day school week provides an opportunity for extra rest and a less stressful environment. Being out of school one extra day per week allows students to relax or to be more productive.

What country has 4 day school weeks?

Iceland. Iceland tested four-day, 35-36-hour weeks from 2015-2019 with more than 2,500 employees, or roughly 1% of the country's total workforce. Participating employers included police departments, schools, and the Reykjavik mayor's office, and employees kept their same salary. The test was considered a huge success.

How does taking breaks from school help with mental health?

Impact of Brain Breaks on Mental Health

They also improve short-term memory, self-awareness, and the learners' knowledge. A brain break of three to five minutes will enable students to concentrate for twenty to thirty minutes, allowing them to learn more than if they had been taught during that time nonstop.

Why students should go to school 3 days a week?

While every Friday does not need to be a day off, cancelling Friday or Monday classes more frequently will help students improve their time management skills, as well as better their mental health. Having a three-day weekend lets students break up their work over three days instead of two.

What are the pros and cons of longer school days?

Why should schools have 3 day weekends?

In summary, three-day weekends could help mental health and after-school activities, as well as just giving more opportunities for other things such as appointments. This could majorly benefit the student body and perhaps even the teachers as well.

Why we shouldn't have a 4 day week?

Wrong Approach. Many confused the concept of a 4 day work week with compressed hours. Employees who are expected to still work 35 hours, but across 4 days will actually show decreased levels of productivity and it can also impact employees' engagement, work-life balance and overall happiness.

Are 4 10 hour days better?

Increased Employee Productivity: Of companies who have tried a four-day workweek, many noticed that the productivity and performance of their employees increased. Even though they're working the same number of hours, that extra day off each week gives them more time to rest and recharge.

Why we shouldn't have 4 day work weeks?

There will also be knock-on effects on the rest of the team if everyone is just shifting their meeting times to one less day a week, or worse, if people are taking different days off from each other. It could mean longer stretches of meetings on those four days, which are also a cause of burnout and dissatisfaction.

What is the ideal length of a school day?

Lengths of the school day range from 6 hours to 7 hours and 40 minutes including breaks. Lengths of the school week range from 30 hours to 37 hours 30 minutes in total, breaking down to a range of 25 hours to 33 hours and 20 mins of classroom time.

What country has the shortest school day?

Finland School Hours

Typically, the Finnish school day starts anywhere from 9 to 9:45 a.m., and students typically spend only about five hours a day in the classroom. What's more, Finnish students typically have little to no homework.

Why should classes be 45 minutes long?

Pros of 45 Minute Periods

Students' attention spans are only so long. 45 minutes means that the pace is quick, and there is no time to waste. Students can feel that urgency! Ideally, this means that there is less off-task behavior and students can stay focused.