Start and end times for different levels of schooling have varied throughout the years, and they have changed for the worse. The current schedule is that elementary school students wake up the earliest, go to school at 7:20 a.m., and are let out at 2:20 p.m. For middle school students, they wake up the latest and are to be at school from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lastly, high school students are in class from 8:10 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
One of the biggest reasons each level of education starts at a different time is due to transportation. If all schools were let out at the same time, buses and other methods of transportation would be in an influx, and it would create significant traffic congestion.
There are many other reasons why different times are necessary. I completely understand why the schools start at separate times, however, I do not agree with the time each school level starts.
I believe these times do not meet the needs of all students and should be changed. The main reason the schedules are set up this way is because sleep experts have recommended that high schoolers start later than elementary schoolers due to the sleep patterns of the different age groups. However, this reason is not enough to advocate for high school students to go to school later, as many other factors can contribute to changing the start and end times.
I think the start and end times of elementary and high school levels should be swapped. However, the middle school times should stay the same.
One of the biggest reasons I think high school students would benefit from going to school earlier and getting out of school earlier is because of extracurricular activities and part-time jobs. Many high school students are involved in various obligations outside of school, and getting out of school earlier would make managing this much easier.
Many jobs start at 4 p.m., and the current schedule of getting out at 3:10 p.m. makes it incredibly difficult for many students to make it to work on time. There are even some jobs with shift times that start as early as 3:30 p.m., which makes it even more challenging.
Working on school days with my job, where my shifts would start at 3:50 p.m., made getting to work on time a big challenge. First of all, navigating and getting out of the parking lot in a timely manner is hard enough. Then, I had to get food before my shift started so I wouldn’t be hungry. Operating on this tight of a schedule, I didn’t even consider being able to run home to change into my work clothes, and would have to change in the bathroom of my job most of the time.
Even just dealing with traffic and getting food before work, I struggled to make it to work on time. Luckily, my job understood that school came first and allowed some flexibility if I wasn’t always right on time. However, some jobs may not be as understanding.
If school were to let out at 2:20 p.m. for high schoolers, making it to a 4 p.m. shift would not be nearly as challenging. This could also leave time for extracurriculars, sports, and after-school activities. If after-school activities started and ended earlier, students would be able to go home and go to sleep earlier. This could assist with many students’ sleep schedules.
I do not think many high school students would be opposed to waking up earlier for school as long as they were let out earlier. Getting out at 2:20 p.m. leaves much more time for students to participate in the various activities expected of them.
As for elementary schoolers, they do not have to worry about making it on time for jobs and extracurriculars. I am sure they would appreciate getting to wake up a little later. Having elementary school students get out of school later would also mean working parents would pay less for after-school care for their children.
Overall, changing the start and end times of elementary and high schools would provide various benefits to everyone.
