The Fault in Early Start Times

The early bird gets the worm, or so the saying goes. However, by following this particular mentality, the school board is telling the students that can’t help but be night owls that they don’t deserve the worm that is education. Another way to view the before stated analogy is to label the worm to mean breakfast, however the before mentioned argument still holds its validity. 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because it starts essential bodily functions for the day and initiates brain function. For this reason, adults are always pushing students to eat a good breakfast in the mornings, and chide them when they don’t. However, for most teenagers eating before 8 am makes them nauseous. Starting school as early as 7:40 in the morning means that for some students they have to wake up as early as 5am and refrain from eating breakfast, limiting their ability to think properly and resulting in lower levels of productivity in class.  

Studies have been done and have proven that students who get 8-10 hours of sleep do better in class and have reduced stress levels. Eating a healthy breakfast and getting plenty of rest boosts creativity, focus, and a student’s immunity to airborne illnesses. Being well rested also improves one’s mental health as well as their physical health and can even help with emotional stability.  

Parents seem to think the answer lies in going to sleep earlier, however even if that were practical, which it isn’t with all the expectations and responsibilities placed on students, it is not possible biologically either.   In the Adolescence, the human brain’s chemistry is in a strange in between stage and melatonin (brain chemical inducing sleep and tiredness) is not released until late in the evening, close to Midnight. 

Biology aside, even if students wanted to retire early it is not necessarily probable.  Students are expected to be involved; play sports, join a club, or be a leader at Central, requiring them to stay afterschool for an average of 2 hours a day, get 8-10 hours of sleep a night, and do an average of 4-6 hours of homework a night, add an 8-hour school day and the importance of having brain breaks or free time and its simply not realistic. There are not enough hours in a day. Maybe it would be feasible if days consisted of 30 plus hours, however they do not.  

In addition to later start times, school should consist of no more than 6 hours at most. 8-hour school days are much too long for a multitude of reasons, including student’s attention spans and focus are drastically decreased by the end of the day. As well as giving students little to no free time; time to unwind or work a part time job. Current school hours make it nearly impossible for students to be themselves, to have fun, sleep, and take care of themselves. 

If the school board were to bump start times up to 9 or 10 am and to cut the school day down by a couple of hours I’m sure they would be overwhelmed by the results and increased productivity of students. Parents will be able to spend more time with their students and parents and teachers would notice a decrease in stress, depression and other mental health issues in their students, because as they say quality over quantity.