The History of "Summer Break"

Popular belief holds that the current school year schedule began in the 1800s, when children needed a break to help their parents harvest during the summer. While that’s part of the calendar’s origin, there’s more to the story of how the hottest season became synonymous with “time off.”

According to NPR’s StateImpact, children in rural areas would take off autumn and spring to plant and harvest their crops (summer is not the most demanding time) while urban children were in school almost year-round. When reformers began pushing for a standardized, universal school schedule, officials reached a compromise to create a summer break.

Some officials at the time believed it was healthy for kids to have a break due to the belief that constant schooling would be medically unsound.

Another reason summer was chosen as the break period was the lack of air conditioning. Before central air was around, school buildings would become unpleasantly hot, and wealthy urban families would want to get away and vacation—much like today, when “summer” has become a verb.

Rural communities’ views of education in that season also contributed to the decision. Oftentimes younger women were brought in to teach summer classes, as opposed to older men who taught during other times of the year. Thus, in the 19th century mindset, summer was perceived as the weakest academic period.

An added bonus to taking several weeks off was that teachers had time to recollect and plan for the upcoming year, instead of constantly preparing in a year-round schedule.

Since then, the idea of a “summer break” has pervaded the psyche of American culture. Fall brings with it a sense of renewal, while late spring now conveys a sense of freedom to America’s youth.

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