Dear Editor:
Re: No vacation is 'cruel,' Letters to the editor, Burnaby NOW, May 4.
Here we go again. Teacher concerned about the welfare of the students. Attending school 12 months of the year instead of the present 10? Taking away two months of summer vacation from them when they should be at the beach? Incarcerate them in a classroom watching pointless videos and filling repetitive work sheets? That is cruel! But just a moment, something just struck me - doesn't that mean that teachers would be subject to the same consequences? Now, that's a barbaric thought .
I was trying to think what other job/ employer allows employees to have two months off in the summer, but nothing came to mind. Of course, in a perfect world that would be an ideal scenario; unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world.
I have no idea how much time is appropriate for children to have off during the year in order for them to lead healthy lifestyles (I'm not a psychologist), so I won't go there. However, what I do think would be appropriate, is to have teachers teach classes 12 months of the year and, in a noncompulsory way, give those students who had difficulties learning during the school year a chance to attend the same. They could get that required time and attention that teachers were unable to give during the rest of the year because of class sizes or for whatever other reasons.
As well, teachers could use that time to discuss and prepare curriculums for the following year.
That sounds like a win-win situation.
Frank Di Cesare, Burnaby
