Why do schools still have summer vacation?

Gradually, they shortened the school year by about 60 days and eliminated the summer quarter. Reformers could have instituted a long break in winter, or spring, but they picked summer for three main reasons. 1) Poorly ventilated school buildings were nearly unbearable during heat waves. read more

Many people believe that the origins of summer vacation are rooted in America's agricultural past. However, it was actually the vacation habits of city kids and their families that inspired what is now considered the traditional American academic calendar. read more