Does Starting School Earlier Improve Student Performance?

by Guest Contributor, Gunesh Amannazarova

Courtesy Envato

In the United States, teachers and students alike arrive on campus as early as 6:30 in the morning, and stay as late as 5:00 PM sometimes! There has been a debate for years about school starting later in the morning. The question is: would it be worth it? How does starting the school day early affect schoolchildren? We will look at the impact of early waking up on their academic performance, health, and mood, and also find out what students themselves think about the possibility of starting classes later.

Questions

1) Do you think school should start later?

2) How do you think changing the start time will affect students’ performance?

3) Studies show that adolescents often suffer from sleep deprivation. Do you think starting school later will help solve this problem?

4) What may be the possible disadvantages of postponing the start of the school day to a later time?

5) How can changing school schedules affect parents working on a standard schedule?

6) Do you think the later start of classes will affect clubs and extracurricular activities?

7) Can a later start of classes lead to a better psychological and physical state of students?

8) What start time for the school day do you believe is optimal for most students?

9) What additional resources or changes could school need if the start of the school day is postponed?

People interviewed

1) Nicole Masian (Expert) - Medical chief examiner

2)Martina Coppola (exchange student from Italy) Senior

3)Pablo Leon (exchange student from Spain) Senior

Answers

Senior exchange student from Italy, Martina Coppola, believes that starting school at 7:20 is ideal. She likes that school day ends in afternoon, which leaves enough time for training, homework, and other chores. She worries that is schools starts later, she will not have enough time for all her obligations. In her opinion, starting the school day later will disrupt her usual daily routine.

‘’I think their performance level will decrease because scientists proved the brain does their best in the morning."

Martina believes that the performance of school children will decrease if the school start time is postponed. Martina also believes that postponing the school time won’t have a major impact in parents who are working.

‘’I think there won’t be a major change because some teenagers drive cars and some go to school by bus.’’

In opposition to Martina is Spanish exchange student, Pablo Leon. Pablo thinks school starts too early, which causes him sleep deprivation. It makes him tired and makes it difficult to concentrate in class.

‘’They will perform better because they will get enough sleep.’’

Many experts agree with Pablo’s view that teenagers often don’t get enough sleep, and this negatively affects their health and academic performance. Studies show that if adolescents get more sleep, their academic performance will improve, their stress will decrease, and their depression lessens. Lack of sleep is associated with: difficulty concentrating , mood swings, and can impact the overall well-being of a student, making sleep an important factor in maintaining adolescent mental health.

Medical Chief Chief Examiner, Nicole Masian, believes starting school early is convenient because many parents go to work at the same time, and it is comfortable to drive children to school by car. It increases comfort and safety for children. Of course, children can also go to school by bus. So, in fact, an early start helps them learn to get up, time management, and spend their day productively.

 “As a doctor, I can say that it is proved that adolescents brain work more effectively in the early mornings.’’

She also believes that the brain works more efficiently in the morning, which contributes to better absorption of material. This time of day is suitable for activities that require concentration and mental effort. In contrast, Pablo thinks school starts too early, which causes him sleep deprivation. It makes him tired and makes it difficult to concentrate in class.

"They will perform better because they will get enough sleep."

Many experts agree with Pablo’s view that teenagers often don’t get enough sleep, and this negatively affects their health and academic performance. Studies show that if adolescents get more sleep, their academic performance will improve, as well as decrease stress and depression among students. Lack of sleep associated with issues with concentration, mood, and overall well-being, making sleep an important factor in maintaining adolescent mental health.