The assumption that students should only work 9 months of the year and have a 3 month vacation is a Western construct that has nothing to do with the current academic or vocational demands of the society. It is a left-over of a time when students were needed to do agricultural labor, and later, to accompany their families on "retreats" to get out of the steaming polluted cities. "Year-round" schools are a better solution on paper, but are frought with scheduling problems; i.e. if your two weeks off are during football season and you are a player? What about your siblings not having the same vacation? So, the most practical solution is to shorten vacations for everyone, and even add online learning components to students "courseloads" which they could complete during the vacation. Sounds harsh, but in a global economy, it may become necessary to remain competitive.
