President Obama is going to be on many students’ hit list when they find out that he is pushing to make the school year and day longer. The President believes that students spend far too much time not being instructed, leading to our low test scores and standing in the international stage.

Obama said, “Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas, not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom.” America tests at the bottom of math and science when compared to less developed countries around the world. The reason may be that those countries keep their students in the classrooms longer during the day and year. Shorter summer breaks and longer school days will mean a more dedicated investment into learning at present and future.

Students are not happy however. Many children like Domonique Toombs, a sixth grader from Boston, said “Wow, are you serious? That’s three more hours I won’t be able to chill with my friends after school.” However, students chilling with friends is low on the President’s priority list. In fact, more hanging out can lead to more negative associations and activities. The outburst in violence outside of schools in cities like Chicago has too often claimed the lives of students who get caught in the crossfire. More time in school will restructure a student’s life and priorities so that hanging out is a distant second to becoming educated.

Secretary of Education Duncan stated that “Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here. I want to just level the playing field.” If our students are to have a chance at being successful in this globalized world, we must not disadvantage them by allowing a lenient schedule of learning. The increase doesn’t even need to be extremely significant. Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institute stated that adding even 10 minutes a class would be enough. “Ten minutes sounds trivial to a school day, but don’t forget, these math periods in the U.S. average 45 minutes. Percentage-wise, that’s a pretty healthy increase.”

Some schools are already adopting these measures and finding immediately positive results. As the Associated Press notes, “For example, kids in the KIPP network of 82 charter schools across the country go to school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., more than three hours longer than the typical day. They go to school every other Saturday and for three weeks in the summer. KIPP eighth-grade classes exceed their school district averages on state tests.”

This increase will also allow poorer children to keep up with students from more affluent backgrounds. Often those who are from less economically wealthy families will fall behind during the summer months because they won’t be able to have the attention from their parents that richer kids have. From summer camps to night reading, richer kids often keep progressing in the summers while poorer children may often take steps backwards. This push by Obama will even the domestic playing field as well as the international one. Perhaps you want to become part of the game by earning a teaching degree? Check out the programs available to you today.