DIPLOMA IN BUILDING SURVEYING

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING & SURVEYING

(SEMESTER OCTOBER – JANUARY 2023)

This assignment is prepared to fulfill the need of the subject

Integrated Language Skills III (ELC 231)

Written Commentary (30%)

[IS SCHOOL TOO LONG]

PREPARED BY:
NURIN NABILAH BINTI HAIRIL (2021871928)
SITI NUR ATHIA WAHIDAH MAT JUSOH (2021897254)
GROUP: AP119 3C

PREPARED FOR: PN. JEYAMAHLA A/P VEERAVAGU

1.0 APPROVED ARTICLE

Is School Too Long? (C)

School is one of the places to learn and find knowledge with guidance and teachings from
teachers. In Malaysia, students in the age group as early as 7 years old will start their
schooling in primary school and will finish their primary schooling at the age of 12. Then,
they will continue their studies in secondary school at the age of 13 and until they are 17
years old. The average time they study at school is 7 to 10 hours. This shows that they
spend a lot of time at school with their studies, and it makes it difficult for them to be with
their family and do leisure activities. The question is, is school too long? And is it appropriate
to make the learning time at school long? (C)

Most students realize that spending time studying in school does not necessarily lead
to better academic achievement (TS1). Even they will be more stressed by being given a lot
of training in various subjects (SD1). For example, In Poland, high school students need 595
hours in the classroom, the lowest of all the countries in the study, yet they top U.S. students
on the math and science portions of the PISA exams, the most widely used measuring sticks
for international comparisons (E1). Not necessarily studying less time makes us students
less intelligent, maybe they spend more time studying at home alone. Studying at school
may tire them and cause them not to focus on the learning session.

Besides, students need enough sleep and more sleep than adults (TS2). They are
given a lot of schoolwork and extracurricular activities that can limit them to rest and sleep
well (SD2). Not getting enough sleep can cause them to be unwell and unable to attend
school the next day. Apart from that, not enough sleep among students can cause them
stress. A survey from the American Psychological Association has shown that during the
school year, teens say their stress level is higher than levels reported by adults in the past
month (E2). This supports the notion that teens are already stressed out with school as it is,
thus school should be made less stressful with reduced school hours. This happens because
they need time to rest and study. This kind of thing is not good for students, they also need
time to rest their minds and brains.
 In addition, research shows that no matter how much extra time students spend in
school, students will only operate at peak performance for a certain percentage of the day
(TS3). This is because they also have a limit to accept every learning content given by their
teacher (SD3). One 2012 review of studies on learning time found that the extra time often
didn’t produce academic benefits for students and when it did, the benefits were small (E3).
When students are too tired or mentally exhausted, they will find it difficult to concentrate
again at the end of class. They may also fall asleep in class due to fatigue from a day of
studying. This thing will make learning will miss a lot of lessons.

In conclusion, too long school hours are not good for students' mental health. They will
feel tired when studying or being at school for too long. The mental health of students needs
to be taken care of to prevent unwanted things from happening. There is no point in studying
for too long if they are not focused and tired throughout the class. last but not least, it is
better to shorten the learning time at school and let students revise their lessons at home or
in tuition classes.

(670 WORDS)
2.0 OPPOSING ARTICLE

Is School Too Long (C)

Since the end of World War II, most American children have attended school for
approximately six and a half hours per day. Most dismissal bells ring around 2:30 p.m., some
as early as 1:30. That's why, despite the widespread impression that children spend much of
their time in school, the truth is they go to school for only about 20 percent of their waking
hours. That's right about one-fifth of their waking hours. Basically, unquestioned for decades,
these numbers help explain why American families are so poorly served by their own public
schools.

We listen to teachers in new-day schools who love the extra time, which means they
can allow classroom discussions to flow more freely and still provide small group and
individual teaching for students based on skill level (C). An expanded school schedule
engages students more fully, and children learn better in a more stimulating environment. By
reducing the pressure on the system to cram math and reading and science into too few
hours, the new school day opens up the schedule for subjects that students enjoy and
teachers like to teach. Asked about the impact of Massachusetts' new school day on student
academic performance, fully 70 percent of the teachers in new day schools said it was better
(23 percent saw "no impact" and a tiny minority, 7 percent, thought it was worse).

First, students and teachers get more time on task (OP1). Students who fall behind
get the time to catch up. Instead of experiencing the classroom as a place for failure and
boredom, kids have success. Students who are already keeping up have a chance to
explore more. In science, longer classes allow students to carry out experiments from
beginning to end in a single session. No instructional technique benefits from a rushed
school day. "More time on task really makes a difference for our students," says Dr. Jean
Teal, principal of Miami Edison High School (EO1). "Kids can really get that intensive
instruction they need, where their weaknesses lie. It gives more opportunities to work with
students. Teachers can develop their lessons and have kids engage for longer periods of
time, using all these best practices we've put into place with our students." As one social
studies teacher mourned after her school canceled the new school day for budget reasons,
"The amount of material I could get through was amazing.

Teachers gain a greater ability to work with diverse skill levels at the same time (OP2).
Longer periods enable teachers to divide the class into groups and to make room for
individual and small-group tutoring and more students stay more engaged, rather than
drifting off into inattention and eventual disciplinary problems and failure. You could
introduce a concept, introduce primary sources to study it, have kids explore it in a group,
and then come back and discuss the subject more in detail. Students get more opportunities
for experiential learning and enrichment activities. Arts, music, drama, and recess. most of
which have been reduced or eliminated in recent years on behalf of so-called core academic
subjects. return to the classroom. At the Timilty Middle School in Boston, for instance, all
students submit a project to the citywide science fair. At the Matthew J. Kuss School in Fall
River, Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe, "The once hit-or-miss drama program
now regularly puts on major productions (EO2). The troupe last fall staged a production of
Macbeth, with the performers in professionally made costumes.

Here's another way to think about children and school. When school is a place of
engagement, excitement, and felt success, children like it. When it's a nonstop struggle, a
site for frequent failure, a place where slower kids get ignored by teachers in a hurry or
routinely teased by quicker classmates, school for them becomes a dreary, unpleasant,
depressing slog, and can't end too soon. When there's not enough time for learning-disabled
children to learn in the ways they can learn best, we're giving them an alienating experience
of school that actively discourages them from higher education and works against vocational
success in their future lives as well

Teachers gain a greater ability to work with diverse skill levels at the same time (OP2).
Longer periods enable teachers to divide the class into groups and to make room for
individual and small-group tutoring and more students stay more engaged, rather than
drifting off into inattention and eventual disciplinary problems and failure. You could
introduce a concept, introduce primary sources to study it, have kids explore it in a group,
and then come back and discuss the subject more in detail. Students get more opportunities
for experiential learning and enrichment activities. Arts, music, drama, and recess. most of
which have been reduced or eliminated in recent years on behalf of so-called core academic
subjects. return to the classroom. At the Timilty Middle School in Boston, for instance, all
students submit a project to the citywide science fair. At the Matthew J. Kuss School in Fall
River, Massachusetts, according to the Boston Globe, "The once hit-or-miss drama program
now regularly puts on major productions (EO2). The troupe last fall staged a production of
Macbeth, with the performers in professionally made costumes.

(552 words)
3.0 REFERENCES

Christopher Gabrieli, Warren Goldstein/ time/to/ Learn/Benefits of a Longer School Day

 https://www.readingrockets.org/article/time-learn-benefits-longer-school-

day#:~:text=An%20expanded%20school%20schedule%20engages,and%20teachers

%20like%20to%20teach
 4.0 APPROVED OUTLINE

ELC 231 EVALUATIVE CCOMMENTARY OUTLINE

Names: NURIN NABILAH BINTI HAIRIL

SITI NUR ATHIA WAHIDAH MAT JUSOH Group: AP119 3C

Title: Is School Too Long?

Author: Christopher Gabrieli, Warren Goldstein

Source: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/time-learn-benefits-longer-school-day#:~:text=An
%20expanded%20school%20schedule%20engages,and%20teachers%20like%20to%20teach

INTRO 1. What is the Claim Author’s POV

overview of the School Is Good If It Longer 3rd person’s POV
article/claim?
What is the Formal. The author is stating that school is good if it is longer.
author’s tone?
BODY 2, What are the *TS1 *TS2 *TS3
(Evaluatio key points? - The majority – More sleep is - According to research, kids
n of of students are required for will only function at their best
article} 3. What are the aware that students than for for a specific portion of the
supporting improving adults. day, regardless of how much
details? academic more time they spend in class.
performance *SD2
4, Is there any does not - Due to the *SD3
strong evidence always result amount of - This is due to the fact that
supporting the from spending academics and they are not able to accept all
main idea? more time extracurricular of the learning materials that
studying in activities they their teacher provides.
class. have, they may
find it difficult to E3
*SD1 unwind and get - According to a 2012
- Given enough sleep. assessment of studies on
extensive learning time, pupils rarely
training in benefited academically from
numerous the extra time, and even when
 subjects, even E2 they did, the effects were
they will - Not getting modest.
experience enough sleep
increased can cause them
stress. to be unwell and
unable to attend
E1 school the next
- Polish high day. Apart from
school that, not enough
students sleep among
spend the students can
fewest amount cause them
of time in the stress. A survey
classroom from the
(595 hours), American
compared to Psychological
all other Association has
nations in the shown that
research, but during the school
they year, teens say
outperform their stress level
American is higher than
students in levels reported
math and by adults in the
science on the past month
PISA exams,
the most
common
yardstick for
international
comparisons.
BODY 5a, what is your
(Personal stand on the Agree/Disagree/Partially agree/partially disagree
Opinion) issue?
5b. What are *OP1 Strong evidence
your reasons? - More time is spent on *OE1
(Opposing tasks for both students - Our kids benefit greatly from spending
 article) and teachers. more time on tasks, according to Miami
Edison High School head Dr. Jean Teal.

*OP2 *OE2
- The capacity of - The Boston Globe reports that at the
teachers to Matthew J. Kuss School in Fall River,
simultaneously manage Massachusetts, "the once hit-or-miss
students of various skill theatrical program now regularly puts on
levels increases. significant productions."
6.**Justify your - Teachers can break the class into groups and allow time for
opinion one-on-one and small-group tutoring when the class period
is longer.
- Students have additional options for engaging in enrichment
programs and experiential learning.
CONC 7. Restate your - In conclusion, a longer school day engages pupils more
opinion and deeply, and a stimulating setting helps kids learn more
write a effectively. The new school day frees up time in the
comment. timetable for courses that students and instructors love
teaching by easing the strain on the system to pack math,
reading, and science into too few hours.
**Give reason to justify your view on the issue by any of these strategies

- expose the strength/weakness of the points

- challenge the reliability /accuracy of the points

- provide additional arguments which are not mentioned in the article

-strengthen the arguments by providing extra support for SDs

*Information used from both articles MUST be paraphrased and summarized. Marks will be
deducted for plagiarism.

5.0 WRITTEN COMMENTARY

Based on the article “Is School Too Long” the author is stating that school is good if it is
longer and also claimed longer school days could result in attention deficit and fatigue,
making the extra class time ineffective. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to
concentrate, the last hour of the day becomes useless. The author’s tone in this article is
formal.

First, the majority of students are aware that improving academic performance does
not always result from spending more time studying in class. Given extensive training in
numerous subjects, even they will experience increased stress. Polish high school students
spend the fewest amount of time in the classroom (595 hours), compared to all other nations
in the research, but they outperform American students in math and science on the PISA
exams, the most common yardstick for international comparisons.

Then, more sleep is required for students than for adults. Due to the amount of
academics and extracurricular activities they have, they may find it difficult to unwind and get
enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can cause them to be unwell and unable to attend
school the next day.

Apart from that, not enough sleep among students can cause them stress. A survey
from the American Psychological Association has shown that during the school year, teens
say their stress level is higher than levels reported by adults in the past month

In addition, according to research kids will only function at their best for a specific
portion of the day, regardless of how much more time they spend in class. This is due to the
fact that they are not able to accept all of the learning materials that their teacher provides. A
2012 assessment of studies on learning time, pupils rarely benefited academically from the
extra time, and even when they did, the effects were modest.

We disagree with the author that the school period should not be longer. This is
because More time is spent on tasks for both students and teachers. Our kids benefit greatly
from spending more time on tasks, according to Miami Edison High School head Dr. Jean
Teal. Other than that, the capacity of teachers to simultaneously manage students of various
skill levels increases. The Boston Globe reports that at the Matthew J. Kuss School in Fall
River, Massachusetts, "the once hit-or-miss theatrical program now regularly puts on
significant productions.
 In conclusion, a longer school day engages pupils more deeply, and a stimulating
setting helps kids learn more effectively. The new school day frees up time in the timetable
for courses that students and instructors love teaching by easing the strain on the system to
pack math, reading, and science into too few hours.

(450 WORDS)
REFERENCES

Christopher Gabrieli, Warren Goldstein/ time/to/ Learn/Benefits of a Longer School Day

 https://www.readingrockets.org/article/time-learn-benefits-longer-school-

day#:~:text=An%20expanded%20school%20schedule%20engages,and%20teachers

%20like%20to%20teach
 ELC 231
WRITTEN COMMENTARY MARKSHEET

NAME: NURIN NABILAH BINTI HAIRIL MATRIC NO: 2021871928

NAME: SITI NUR ATHIA WAHIDAH MAT JUSOH MATRIC NO: 2021897254
TITLE: IS SCHOOL TOO LONG
5 = EXCELLENT 4 = GOOD 3 = AVERAGE 2 = FAIR 1 = POOR

CONTENT (10 MARKS) SUBTOTAL COMMEN

T
Clear and effective Introduction 5 4 3 2 1
Satisfactory overview of the article 5 4 3 2 1
Effective summary of the author’s
5 4 3 2 1
points
Clear stand of personal view 5 4 3 2 1
Effective justification of opinion 5 4 3 2 1
Effective restatement of personal
5 4 3 2 1
view
Displays a high degree of critical
5 4 3 2 1
thinking
Impactful final comment(s) 5 4 3 2 1
Appropriate length 5 4 3 2 1
Substantial supporting documents
5 4 3 2 1

ORGANISATION (5 MARKS)

Clear paragraphing 5 4 3 2 1
Effective use of connectives 5 4 3 2 1
Clear topic sentences, supporting
5 4 3 2 1
details and concluding sentences
Smooth transition from one
5 4 3 2 1
paragraph to another
Good balance, unity and coherence
5 4 3 2 1

LANGUAGE (15 MARKS)

Grammatical accuracy
5 4 3 2 1
X3
Appropriate choice of words
5 4 3 2 1
X3
Good sentence construction
5 4 3 2 1
X3
Appropriate and clear expression of
ideas 5 4 3 2 1
X3
Correct use of tense overall 5 4 3 2 1
X3
 TOTAL (Add all subtotals)

SCORE: TOTAL X 30
150
*Please print and include this for written commentary