Why is it bad for schools to start early?

During the school week, school start times are the main reason students wake up when they do. The combination of late bedtimes and early school start times results in most adolescents not getting enough sleep. Getting enough sleep can improve academic performance.

What are the negative effects of starting school early?

They also are more likely to suffer from depression or perform poorly in school. Sleepy teens also have a higher risk of being involved in a drowsy driving accident. Research suggests that teen car crash rates are higher when school starts earlier in the morning.

Why schools shouldn't start so early?

Countless studies have shown that early school start times are associated with students getting less sleep, which negatively affects student academic performance. Students with less sleep have difficulty paying attention in class and are likely to have lower grades. They may also experience irritability and fatigue.

Why should school not start at 8 am?

“Studies have shown over and over that teens get more sleep when school starts later, with research-based benefits to their physical and mental health, academic performance and beyond,” says Elinore Boeke, communications director for Start School Later, a nonprofit organization that lobbied for California's new law.

How does early school start times affect health?

Disrupting these circadian rhythms with early school start times can cause chronic sleep deprivation, which leads to increased risk for obesity, depression, poor academic performance, substance abuse and driving accidents.

Is School Slowly Destroying Your Brain?

Does school start time affect mental health?

While there are other variables that need to be explored, our findings show that earlier school start times seem to put more pressure on the sleep process and increase mental health symptoms, while later school start times appear to be a strong protective factor for teens.”

How does early school start times affect students grades?

Among students whose start times were delayed, final grades were 4.5 percent higher, compared with students who took the class when school started earlier. Most U.S. public high schools begin around 8:00 am. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a starting time of 8:30 a.m. or later.

Why is school at 8am?

In 2019, California legislators passed a first-of-its-kind law requiring that public high schools begin classes no earlier than 8:30 a.m., and that middle schools start no earlier than 8 a.m. The law officially went into effect on July 1.

Why do UK schools start so early?

One of the main reasons that schools start early is to allow parents to get their kids ready for school and to drop them off. Most jobs start at 9:00am or a little after. As a result, parents are able to drop their kids off at school before they go to work.

Why should school be 4 days a week?

Proponents of a four-day school week argue that it offers several benefits, including cost savings, improved student attendance and increased teacher morale. By reducing the number of school days, schools can save money on transportation, food and energy costs.

What is too early to start school?

In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Bill 328, which requires middle schools to begin no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. It went into effect in 2022. Other states may consider similar moves. And there is some evidence that starting school later is beneficial.

Why it's ridiculous that high schools start so early in the morning?

Why not? We have studied start time changes over a full year, noting changes to sleep, mood, health and academics in a high school that delayed start time by 45 minutes. We found that later start times lead to improved sleep, as well as reductions in tardiness and dramatic improvements to behavior problems.

Why parents are against later school start times?

A recent study out of the University of Michigan finds that 51 percent of parents support later school start times, according to Science Daily. Two factors for parents who opposed the change were transportation and concerns about how after-school activities might be affected.

What are the disadvantages of having children early?

Compared to women between the ages of 20-35, pregnant women under 20 are at a greater risk for death and disease including bleeding during pregnancy, toxemia, hemorrhage, prolonged and difficult labor, severe anemia, and disability. Life-long social and economic disadvantages may be a consequence of teenage birth.

What are cons of starting school later in the day?

What are the negative effects of a 4 day school week?

They found that students in districts with 4-day weeks fell behind their 5-day week peers a little every year and that the deficits accumulated over time. Researchers estimate that after eight years, the damage to student achievement will equal that caused by the pandemic.

Why should school start at 11am?

Later start times reduced tardiness, truancy and dropout rates. The same study cited above also found that starting the school day at a later time improved school attendance. When students slept adequately, they were less sluggish in the morning and more enthusiastic about going to school.

Why do children start school at 4 in the UK?

The age children start school in the UK dates all the way back to the Victorian age. Putting children in school as young as possible protected them from hard labour like working in the mines. The younger they started school, the less chance they'd have of being sent to work.

Can a child go to school early in the UK?

Accelerated School Place

This is when a child starts school in September but a year earlier than usual. The child would be admitted a year early into a class with children who are a year older than his/her chronological age and start in a Reception Class.

Why shouldn t school start at 7am?

One of the reasons adolescents do not get enough sleep is early school start times. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students the opportunity to get the amount of sleep they need, but most American adolescents start school too early.

What time does school start in Japan?

Schools in Japan often open at, or shortly after, 8:00 am, with students arriving between 8:00 and 8:30 am. All levels of schools have six periods per day, with the first period usually starting after 8:30am.

Why do teens need more sleep?

Additional sleep supports their developing brain, as well as physical growth spurts. It also helps protect them from serious consequences like depression or drug use (see “The Price of Sleep Deprivation in Teens,” below).

Why starting school early is good?

How much sleep should a teenager get?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has recommended that children aged 6–12 years should regularly sleep 9–12 hours per 24 hours and teenagers aged 13–18 years should sleep 8–10 hours per 24 hours.

Do schools that start later do better?

Numerous studies have been done with schools that have shifted to later start times; while individual differences in communities and research methodology have led to different outcomes, results are almost always positive. Benefits observed from later high school start times include: Increased attendance rates.