Is Summer Sensible?

Ahhh, summer vacation is coming soon. Here are the questions such a thing bring to my mind:

• Should a student take a break?
• Is it necessary that we take a break several months long every summer?
• Is there something about learning that demands we rest from the schedule of school?
• Is our need for a vacation (and believe me I feel the need like everyone else, I'm just overcoming my current physical exhaustion to be a little philosophical here) is this need rising from our view of learning as labor?
• If we moved away from notions of learning as labor or work, would that change the situation?
• Is our modern summer break derived from harvest necessities, and if so is it still legit?
• Is it even possible to contemplate the major culture shift it would require to move away from this seemingly entrenched schedule?

Just thinking out loud. I may follow up with some preliminary answers, but would love to hear from you as well.