Should Schools Start Later?

With Elliot & Stella

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How does the current school start time impact you?

Elliot - Personally, I hate how early school starts. It feels like I barely get enough sleep and then I’m just on autopilot all day. By the time it’s afternoon, I’m so exhausted that I can barely focus on my last few lessons. It’s not just about being tired, it’s like my brain just shuts off.

Stella - I totally get that. I’ve noticed that when I don’t get enough sleep, my day feels like it’s dragging. As the day goes on, it’s like I’m just waiting for it to end. I don’t really feel engaged, and that’s probably because I’m so tired from getting up so early.

Exactly. It’s like the morning is just wasted trying to wake up. I think if we started later, we could avoid that sluggish feeling and actually be more present during our lessons.

Right! And when you don’t have that tiredness, you’d be more likely to actually take in the lessons and maybe even be more productive overall.

How would starting later in the morning affect your day?

If we started school later, like after 10 AM, I’d definitely feel more refreshed. You’d be able to get up, not rush, have breakfast properly, and maybe even do something you enjoy before school starts. It would make the entire morning feel more chill.

Yeah, imagine being able to sleep in and not feel like you’re about to fall asleep in the middle of class. If school started later, you’d actually have the energy to engage. You wouldn’t be counting down the minutes until lunch, but actually getting something out of the lessons.

It’s not just the sleep, though. It’s the mental space you get in the morning too. You’d be able to wake up without feeling rushed, and I think that mental clarity would set you up for a better day.

For sure. And if you’ve had a good amount of sleep, you’re less likely to be zoning out. The extra rest would help you focus so much more. It’s like your brain would be ready to go instead of fighting to stay awake.

Do you think shorter school days would help students focus more?

100%. If the day was shorter, we wouldn’t be so tired by the end of it. I’ve heard that homeschoolers get a lot more done in just a few hours than we do in a full school day. It’s not that they’re doing less work—it’s that they’re more focused because they aren’t drained, also they don’t have all the ‘filler’ content and focus on what needs to be learned.

That’s true. Imagine if we didn’t have to drag through six or seven hours of school. With a shorter day, you’d spend the time you do have more effectively. You’d be more likely to participate and actually absorb what’s being taught.

And think about how many distractions there are in class when everyone’s tired. If we were well-rested, we’d be more focused, and the lessons would probably be more enjoyable too.

Exactly. With a shorter day, students could actually stay engaged the whole time. Plus, less time means less room for distractions.

How would a shorter school day, with a later start, affect students’ time outside of school?

Right now, a lot of students barely have time to relax after school. You go to school, then immediately head to work or start homework, and you barely get any time to yourself. You would have more time both before and after school for activities, whether that’s family time, assignment catch up, or just downtime to recharge or even working part-time.

Yeah, and that extra time could make a big difference in terms of your well-being. Not everything revolves around school and work, but a lot of students don’t have the time to focus on things that make them happy because school takes up so much of their day.

And think about part-time jobs. Right now, if you’re working after school, you’re probably rushing from one thing to the next. You have no time to breathe. But if school ended earlier, you'd have more time to balance work and school and not feel like you're constantly running from one responsibility to another.

Definitely. It could improve the work-life balance a lot, which is something a lot of students struggle with. More free time means more time to focus on your personal life.

Are there any challenges to shifting school start times?

Of course, there are challenges. For one, there are the bus schedules to consider. A later start could make it more difficult to transport everyone on time. Schools would also have to figure out how to adjust the schedule—would we shorten classes? Change lunch times?

Yeah, but these aren’t impossible challenges. They might take some time to figure out, but there are ways to work through it. Maybe stagger the start times or adjust the length of the school day to fit everything in.

The biggest thing would be making sure that students still get enough time for each subject, and I think that would require schools to make some changes. But it’s worth considering because it could really benefit the students in the long run.

And schools should be open to change. It’s all about finding the right balance between academics and the students’ well-being.

Have schools tried starting later, and has it worked?

Some schools have made changes, and I’ve heard that it has worked in a lot of places. Students have more energy and focus, and it helps reduce stress. In fact, a study conducted by the University of Washington revealed that after the schedule change, students gained an average of 34 more minutes of sleep each night. This increase in sleep led to notable improvements in their academic performance, mood, and attendance.

If other schools have tried it and seen improvements, that could be solid proof that it’s worth considering for schools everywhere.