New Study Suggests That School Should Start Later
There are few means of torture greater in this world than a big test early in the morning. That hasn’t stopped students from having to deal with them in silence, if only because it’s what they’re supposed to do. But if districts far and wide take note of the latest information, then maybe someday those early morning woes will be a thing of the past.
A study conducted by a band of university researchers has come to a conclusion: the start times that schools have now, all the way up to the college level, are doing more harm than good. The reason for that stems from the body clock and sleep cycles; those as old as 55 aren’t naturally suited to waking up early, and those from 14 to 24 are practically sleep-deprived thanks to a body clock in direct contradiction to typical school hours. That disparity can hamper the learning process — and potentially, that’s the least harmful problem.
The current recommendation is for schools to start at roughly 10 in the morning, and for colleges to start an hour later. While there’s no guarantee that it’ll actually happen, the researchers at Oxford have called for a trial to begin in 2016. Time will tell if anything comes of it — and if students will get the chance to sleep in.
