The budget deficit led to a reduction in studies in Oklahoma (USA) to four days a week

In connection with the crisis of the state budget, many schools in Oklahoma (USA) switched to a four-day education. Prior to this, to save money, schools were forced to inflate the size of the class, remove art and foreign language subjects from the curriculum, but eventually came to more radical measures.

According to The Washington Post, out of 513 schools in the state of Oklahom, 96 switched to a curtailment of the academic week - reduced the teaching on Fridays or Mondays. This is more than three times higher than in 2015, when the reductions in the number of distant schools began.

"I do not think that's right. I think that our children are losing their education in this way. They try to squeeze five days a week in four days, "says grandmother Sandy Robertson, who lives in a rural village in Newcastle, where wheat and soybeans are grown south of Oklahoma City.

Experts believe that it is very difficult to predict the consequences of such innovations. "Four days a week is a" contagious practice. " And the consequences of such a shift, especially for poor children - is unknown, "said Professor of the University of Washington Bothell Paul Hill.

The teachers' deficit in America is also not favorable for the situation. The fact is that in small regions it is the least profitable profession. So, for example, in Oklahoma has not raised the salaries of teachers since 2008, and the average salary in 2013 is $ 44,128. This is the 49th place in the country. As a result, teachers leave on an en masse for more highly paid jobs. For example, a third-grade teacher in the Newcastle Elementary, Shannon Chlauber, tells that she spends half her free Friday on work on lesson plans and testing the scientists. She has 18 years of work experience, but she earns $ 39,350.

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