Hawaii cuts back on school days

Mark Aoki is worried the cuts may affect his education

All public schools in Hawaii have been told to stay closed on Fridays, in an effort by the state to reduce costs.

The state's education department has cut the school week to four days for the remainder of the academic year.

Parents are angry at the move, which shortens the school year by 17 days and forces many to find alternative child care arrangements.

The school system says it is the only way it can save the $468m (287m) needed to close a state budget deficit.

Under the new measure, Hawaii - whose students already rank near the bottom of the American academic league table - will have the shortest school year of any US state.

Its pupils will receive 163 days of tuition a year, compared with 180 in most US school districts.

The cuts come at a time when US President Barack Obama, who himself went to school in Hawaii, has demanded schools remain open for longer as "the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom".

Valerie Sonoda, president of the Hawaii State Parent Teacher Association, said she had received hundreds of calls and e-mails from parents concerned about the educational hours of their children.

"It's just not enough time for the kids to learn," she said.

Mark Aoki, a student at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, admits to being torn.

"The 16-year-old in me is pretty excited that I'll be able to chill on those days," he said. "But overall within me, what I truly believe is that we'll regret this."

Hawaii is not the only state to have furloughed, or laid off, teachers but its cuts are the most far-reaching so far.

The measure, which affects 171,000 students, will remain in place for at least the next two years.