Essay Sample on Changing School Start Times
Since widespread school became mandatory there has been long winded debates on the different aspects of it, especially when it comes to starting times. The facts remain that starting times have been getting earlier and earlier. Instead it should be going the opposite direction, even scientists and doctors believe so.
When kids, especially teens, are woken up too early their natural sleep cycle is interrupted. This is unfair to many teenagers and if we want a well rounded and balanced generation we should be accommodating to them and their bodies’ needs. In the TEDed speech, Why School Should Start Later for Teens, the author Wendy Troxel says, “Teenagers' bodies wait to start releasing melatonin until around 11 pm…” She goes on to say, “...waking a [teen] up at 6am is the biological equivalent of waking an adult up at 4 am. ”
Sleep is also important for the mind as well as the body. By denying the extra sleep teens need they are being denied their health and happiness. It also inhibits very important bodily functions like motor control and alertness. In the article Larks to Owls: What You Need to Know About Your Teen’s Changing Sleep Habits the author, Sarah Leupen says, “...when high school is moved later, students are likely to be in car accidents…” Also, in the article More Sleep for Teens, More Hardships for Parents as School Bell Times Change written by Donna St. George, It is said “...[sleep deprivation] in adolescents [was linked] to depression …obesity and having car crashes as well as lower academic performance.”
Sleep deprivation can also make it much more difficult to pay attention. By pushing forward start times teens can perform much better in school. In the article by Donna St. George (George), it is said, “...teens boarding buses [at 6am] and falling asleep in class.” This causes many teens each day to miss important things taught in schools and possibly even held back. It also affects team sports. In retaliation to criticism about sports being affected by this change Sarah Luepen says, “...schedules were accommodated and team performance actually improved.”
Critics of this change cite issues that arise from this change. Since changing the starting times also changes the times children get out of school it can easily interfere with child care options and parent’s work. In the article by George she says, “...the change has made..difficult hours worse…upending child-care and work schedules…” This point was also reinforced by Wendy Troxel’s TED Talk stating, “Delaying start times also presents many logistical challenges…Updating bus routes, increased transportation costs…[and] care before or after school.” With these issues present it does make it hard to make this big change but it can and has been done before.
There are many solutions to the problems that may be caused by this change and they have shown to be very easy to implement. First of all, elementary times do not need to be changed very much because small children naturally wake up early. Sleep deprivation only becomes a mass issue once students reach middle and high school. When students are out of elementary school they should be old and mature enough to take care of themselves, thus solving the child care problem. Sports and extracurriculars also do not seem to be much of a problem as they usually occur late in the day anyway. Or students could get out at the same time as usual but have an extra week of school. There are very easy ways to get around these problems yet time and time again the solutions are ignored. It is time to re-evaluate school start times and make a change.
