Not all students are the same level of intelligence. Some take a longer time to grasp and understand a concept, compared to others. While there is a certain speed of learning for every individual, educators and scholars try to come up with innovative methods so that the efficiency of students can be increased by a great extent. Block scheduling is one such educational tool that has been adopted by educators to increase the learning potential of every student. What is Block Scheduling? In this system, more emphasis is laid on a student spending more time on a particular subject. For instance, in normal lectures, it's said that a student only gets 40 to 50 minutes for a particular subject. However, in block scheduling, the time allotted for each subject goes up to 90 minutes. This allows a student to study the same lesson properly for a longer period of time. Advantages There are various types of scheduling, but the most common ones are the alternate-day schedule and the 4 X 4 block. In the alternate-day schedule, the students are not required to meet daily; instead, they need to go to school on alternate days, but for longer periods of time. On the other hand, in the 4 X 4 scheduling, students are allowed to take four classes per semester. Here are some advantages of this method:

• More time for the students to study particular topics. They can assimilate information and concepts easily without getting stressed about keeping up with the rest of the class.
• Teachers can focus on specific needs and requirements of specific pupils. They can concentrate on weak points of the student and help them deal with them.
• Less homework for students, because they'll have fewer subjects to study daily rather than a heap of assignments per day.
• Better and longer duration of access to infrastructure and equipment.
• More time and energy to focus on extra-curricular activities.
• Encourages student interaction and promotes socialization skills.

Disadvantages This discussion would be incomplete if we don't take a look at the other side of the coin:

• For a single day's absence, a student effectively misses two classes worth of classwork.
• Due to alternate days and focusing for a long time on one subject, subjects that require frequent revision may become difficult to remember.
• There is lack of well-trained teachers for block scheduling, owing to it being a new system introduced for educational reform.

Whether this is the best educational practice or not is a subjective matter and so, whether you wish to enroll your child in an institution employing this system is solely your decision.