Balancing school work, jobs, extracurriculars and time with family and friends, many students are easily overworked. As Peyton Bortner of Ramaponews explains, “Students suffer from burnout quickly after the semester starts, making it harder to focus their energy on being productive as they stretch themselves thin.” According to Steven Zauderer of Cross River Therapy, about 75% of high school students report always feeling stressed about academics. Additionally, in a study by the American College Health Association, roughly 94% of American college students reported feeling overwhelmed by their studies. “There needs to be a focus on the mental health of our students, and I am not talking about a flimsy email urging people to utilize counseling,” said Bortner. To help mitigate the immense stress of academics, schools and institutions should embrace three-day to four-day weekends.
Having more personal time throughout the week will allow students to devote more hours to sports and extracurriculars, creating a more equal balance between academics and physical activity. According to Harvard Medical School, exercise increases energy levels. Therefore, if students are given more time to exercise, overall energy and productivity will increase. Instead of constantly having to neglect physical well-being in favor of completing academic work, students will be able to gain a boost in energy by exerting themselves.
Secondly, researchers at the nonprofit RAND Corporation interviewed nearly 500 students and surveyed more than 1,300 parents and 6,500 middle and high schoolers about the benefits of a four-day school week. The results showed that a four-day school week would allow for more family time, as in districts with four-day school weeks, students typically spend the extra free day with family. RAND researcher and former teacher Christopher Doss writes, “Students definitely spend more time with their families, [and] definitely have more time for hobbies.” Unsurprisingly, 85% of students “liked the shorter week ‘a lot,’” and 86% of elementary school parents supported the four-day school week.
A shorter school week would also improve student behavior and the school environment overall. Emily Morton, a researcher at The Northwest Evaluation Association, found a 39% decrease in bullying incidents and a 31% decrease in fighting incidents. Furthermore, Simona Johnes of Science and Literacy finds that a shorter school week leads to more enrichment through extracurricular activities, which fosters skills beyond the classroom, including social and emotional development. Johnes stated that “these activities lead to healthier lifestyle choices … thereby contributing to students’ overall emotional well-being and interpersonal skills.” Also, if given more time, students could socialize and spend more time with friends. Many studies have shown that being social positively benefits mental health. When spending time with others, the body releases endorphins that boost happiness and decrease levels of anxiety and depression.
Lastly, many studies have found that teacher morale is boosted by shorter work weeks. When given more time to plan lessons, grade assignments and expand their experience through professional opportunities, teachers are able to feel more prepared. The best learning from students is related to the quality of education teachers can provide. If lessons feel relaxed and organized, students will be able to grasp concepts more effectively. Additionally, the State of the American Teacher Project conducted by RAND found that, in early 2022, 78% of teachers who participated in the survey either “strongly agreed” or “somewhat agreed” to the statement “I don’t seem to have as much enthusiasm now as I did when I began teaching.” With constant stress, teachers face burnout and a lack of joy from teaching, which can be reduced through shorter weeks.
Though many say that longer weekends will decrease productivity and hinder students’ learning, three-day to four-day school weeks will actually increase energy, allow for more family time, increase socialization and emotional well-being and help teachers feel more prepared for the upcoming academic week.
