California has become the first state to move school start times so students can have longer and much better sleep.
It was Governor Gavin Newsom who signed the bill into law that prevents middle school classes from starting before 8 am and high school classes from starting before 8:30 am.
All schools must change the new start times set by 2022, giving schools three years to make the adjustments.
According to studies, later start times lead to better attendance, fewer students falling asleep in class, less tardiness, and better grades. It also reduces the risk of students developing substance abuse, depression, and other problems.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that students who get at least 8 hours of sleep have better attendance and better grades.
However, over 70 percent of high school students and 60 percent of middle schoolers don’t get enough sleep, affecting their performance in school and leading to other mental and physical health problems, including substance abuse and depression.
The president of the California State Parent Teacher Association, Celia Jaffe, said: “We think of it as almost a joke, that teenagers are always crabby in the morning and they stay up way too late.
“[Later school start times are] better for their mental health, it reduces depression and other mental health problems.”
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte said to the Associated Press in 2018: “[Moving back school start times] is the single most cost-effective thing we can do to improve high school graduation rates.”
One internet user commented: “What about all the parents that need to get to work by 8? This is a major life disruptor and an experiment that will be an epic fail. It has worked FINE for generations. Idiotic.”
Another wrote: “So do the parents tell their employers they have to start later, because they have to stay home until they get to school.”
A third said: “Good. About time. Kids need sleep for their brains to refactor learning. Otherwise it is pointless.”
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Replaced!