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The American Education System

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The school calendar varies a little from state to state; but American grade school students are guaranteed 180 days no more, no less. Colleges and universities can operate on their own schedules. The list of holidays that students and their teachers enjoy range from Thanksgiving to Spring Break. In some locations, school holidays account for demographic diversity. For example, many school districts mandate holidays for Yom Kippur. Recently, Eid al-Fitr (the feast day at the end of Ramadan) was added to the list of school holidays in New York and New Jersey (Macedo). Therefore, school holidays help students and teachers realize and celebrate the cultural diversity of their communities. How else will a Christian kid be invited to his Muslim friend's home for Eid al-Fitr if they both have school that day? School holidays serve several distinct functions, none of which should be violated and all of which should be taken into account during a debate on whether or not to reduce the amount of holidays we receive. The various functions of school holidays include giving students and teachers a break so they do not get burned out after too much work. Another function of school holidays is to synchronize the schedules of students with their parents. Most school holidays are also banking holidays or statutory holidays. Those that are not give parents the opportunity to take time off from work and spend that valuable time with their children. For college students, the extra days off can

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