VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The people who manage your kids’ schools are trying to figure out if year-round schooling is right for students and their districts.

Yesterday, Education Minister George Abbott announced plans to scrap the Standard School Calendar and allow school districts to set their own schedules to allow for more flexibility in scheduling. The change could take effect in the fall of 2013.

Michael McEvoy with the BC School Trustees Association says the summer break is from a different era.

“It’s no longer a time when kids went to school to from September to June and then worked in the fields,” says McEvoy. “That’s not relevant anymore for most kids across British Columbia. This allows us to stretch the school year through the entire year.”

“There’s a lot of teachers now, for example, who teach summer school,” he adds.

“Boards will be working with their staff, teachers, support staff, parents, students… and, where it’s deemed to be appropriate for student learning, boards will be making those decisions,” he tells us.

The province notes districts will have to maintain a minimum number of teaching hours. All-year schooling is allowed in BC, but it is rare.

The BC Teachers’ Federation says year-round classes can be problematic if parents have children in different schools on different schedules.

The Langley Teachers’ Association claims the province didn’t tell them about the plan to scrap the standard calendar before it was announced and they’re concerned kindergarten students may not spend time with kids their own age if they’re taking courses online.