Eastern Commerce Collegiate Institute in Toronto is one school testing the waters of this radical idea and is in its second year of starting class unusually late at 10 a.m..
While some may find this suggestion proposperous, studies are showing a forward shift in sleep patterns is a natural accompaniment to sexual maturation, meaning teenagers have a natural ability to sleep later than adults.
Research into school start times has suggested that teenagers behavior and attitudes worsen the earlier the hour, but improve when school starts later.
A 2009 study of 3,000 Houston children between the ages of 11 and 17 found students getting less than six hours of sleep a night were twice as likely to report poor grades.
Opponents of a later schedule cite that professional jobs do not start at 10 a.m. and they would be setting a poor example for responsibility.
However, others argue many students will not go into “classic nine-to-five work governed by a steam whistle.”
In fact, considering our economy, even if they WANTED TO, those jobs are becoming harder and harder to find.
Not to mention, most students who seek higher education choose to break their early schedule and opt for afternoon classes in college.
All we can say is that, we woke up at 7 a.m. for school and even though we would have preferred to wake up later (LOVED two-hour delays), we turned out fine (we hope).
It’s not a bad idea though and we think it is worth a shot to start a little later if students will benefit.
[Image via AP Images.]
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