| In an effort to improve student success, the Toronto
District School Board is considering allowing classes to begin later on in
the morning to give students more time to sleep. While it has raised many
eyebrows, the concept is also being considered for its potential benefits.
This is not a new concept since in the US, school districts in 19
states have implemented later start times.
The suggestion is the result of research on the adolescent brain that
indicates the morning is not an optimal time for learning.
"School times are set for the
convenience of parents and teachers, not students," said Dr. Colin
Shapiro of the
University
of
Toronto
, a sleep expert at the Youthdale Child and
Adolescent Clinic. "It's not that high school students are lazy.
During the teen years, the chemical responsible for sleepiness is secreted
later at night and turns off later in the morning, leading to a
"sleep phase delay."
It is estimated that 70% of all high school
students fail to get a proper amount of sleep at night. There are many
reasons for this, such as the fact that many of them have part-time jobs,
or evening activities that keep them away from home until later in the
evening. Then they have to tackle their homework and answer their phone
and email messages. The result is that many of today's secondary school
students don't get to bed until after midnight and then must get up again
as early as 6 a.m. to catch a bus and start the cycle all over again.
Some students have indicated that it doesn't
matter how much sleep you get, "Morning classes will always be a
drag."
While it would certainly allow students to
get a good breakfast and arrive at school for class at around 10:30 or
11:00 a.m., critics of the plan cite that the move would be a disaster for
extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, traffic tie-ups during rush
hour in the city, and staffing. Others say that the late start would keep
students at school until their parents get home from work which would keep
them out of trouble during the prime-time after school.
This is one of those ideas that is so
"out of the box" that many people will oppose it simply because
it is new. However, there is merit to examining the possibility of
"adjusting the school day" to improve student success.
For example, one consideration would be to
add two periods at the end of the day. This would give students six full
periods where classes could be scheduled. Students would be able to
schedule classes to begin early and finish early (i.e. during the first
four periods), or to begin late and finish late (i.e. during the last four
periods). Thus, they could select the class schedule that best suits their
particular life-style. Alternatively, it would allow students to schedule
free periods during the day in order to participate in school intramurals
or receive tutoring help in difficult subjects. It would also allow
students to take more courses in order to upgrade their qualifications for
post-secondary school or to make up for failed courses.
Regardless of what is done in Toronto, now
that the idea has been "floated" out there for consideration it
is something that will continue to come up. There will be more demand in
the future for the school system to be more flexible to the needs of
students, and so the sooner we come up with a solution that will be
practical, the better. |
