Even though there are some positives about starting school as early as 7:30 a.m, there are more positives about starting at a later time.
When school starts as early as it does, kids show up to school before they are ready to learn. Most kids do not pay attention during their classes because they are too tired and do not have the energy to give their full attention. Less sleep and rest results in reducing focus and attention spans. Kids also show up to school grumpy and annoyed, which sometimes affects learning. School starting this early makes kids tired, which can turn into attitude and affect teachers and classmates by talking back, starting arguments, or even starting fights.
These start times are too early, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Middle and high schools should start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students the opportunity to get the sleep they need. The National Education Association says, “students’ academic performance, at least in the biology course that was the focus of the study, improved. 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.
Starting school at a later time would give kids more rest and will reduce the arguments and fights throughout the day. The American Psychological Association states that there is an increased attendance rate, decrease in disciplinary action and decrease in student-involved car accidents when school starts at a later time. The U.S News & World Report says, “There are resulting improvements across the board: grades improve, attendance goes up and graduation rates go up fairly significantly,” says Lisa Lewis, a parenting journalist.
Starting school at a later time would be perfect for schedules because as soon as school is over, students can go to extracurricular activities or sports. They would have the perfect amount of time for their practice and to eat dinner right after. Students will have time to study after their dinners or extra free time to do whatever they would like.With more rest, students will be more energized to perform better in the sports they play. With the extra rest this will have students strive to achieve more accomplishments and be a better and stronger teammate which will benefit the schools reputation and the team.
With the amount of benefits that comes with waking up and starting school at a later time, even though some people prefer starting at an earlier time, a later time would be much more beneficial.
