Why September?

[Robert Seltman]

My son asked me why US schools (and I believe most European schools) start a new school year in the fall, and not in the Spring as here in Japan.

Does anyone know why?

[Anne]

I've always thought it was so students (and teachers?!) could enjoy a good, relaxing summer break between school years.  In the same way, in Australia and NZ, the new school year starts in Feb, after a long summer break. 

Japan does not have much of a break at any time.  It always seems hard to me that Japanese students go straight from one year to the new one, or to a new school, without much of a rest.

Anne

[Tall Paul]

When schools began in a more or less organized way in the States, nearly all of the population was agrarian to one degree or another. Children were a main source of labor on farms, and so the school year began after harvest in the (northern eastern) fall and continued until planting began in the spring.

That's also the reason many urban school districts in the States are adopting a year-round schedule, modern farmers grow cubicles in the city......

-Paul