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Longer School Hours and Shorter Holidays In an article written by Judith Burns, “Gove urges longer days and shorter holidays for pupils” published in BBC News, the suggestions given by Education Secretary Michael Gove have been elaborated. Gove is of the opinion that like Eastern schools, schools in UK should also have longer school hours and the holiday time period should be shortened. According to him even the best schools in the country have to change their schedules and have a longer school term.

He implies that longer school hours would be family friendly and also enable the child to prepare for the pressures of the modern society. He argues that the long summer holidays can be compared to the extra tuition that other children get in other countries and this keeps our children lacking behind in a global race. In the article by Judith Burns, she has mentioned that Gove says, “If you look at the length of the school day in England, the length of the summer holiday, and we compare it to the extra tuition and support that children are receiving elsewhere, then we are fighting or actually running in this global race in a way that ensures that we start with a significant handicap”.

I disagree with the proposition put forward by Michael Gove. Although school hours are a significant part of the child’s learning and cognitive development but time spent with family and at home is also equally important. Children nowadays are faced with a lot of peer pressure, academic challenges and burdensome school assignments. Starting from school they are working really hard to get into good colleges to secure their futures. I strongly feel that although it is of importance to keep up with the global changes and prepare for the challenges put forward by the world, children need time to relax and enjoy things in life other than arithmetic and English literature.

Summer holidays prove as a good opportunity for the children to have some time away from the daily burdensome routines and relax their minds. This is of great significance for the normal and healthy development of the children. ReferencesBurns, Judith. “Gove urges longer days and shorter holidays for pupils”. BBC News. 19 Apr 2013. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/education-22202694