At some point in our lives, I’m sure we’ve all complained about the first school bell. For the most part, students complain that it’s too early. However, teachers and administrators alike say it is just the right time. “Students just need to sleep more,” they reply.
The issue with this is that some students do in fact sleep at regular times, say, 10:30 PM. Yet, the 8:30 school bell is still too early. I am someone who follows this; but, I still wake up exhausted and completely unready for school that starts in an hour. That’s nine whole hours of sleep; yet, still tired.
High school students work throughout their day. They get up at around 7 AM, shower, eat, brush their teeth, then rush off to school. There, they work non-stop until the 3 o’clock bell. Their only break is lunch, which some have to commute all the way home for. Others have the privilege of having their lunch in their bags. However, I’ve seen a lot of my peers using their breaks to work. It’s quite disheartening to see students writing away at their papers instead of relaxing for a bit. It goes to show how much we have to face daily. By the time we get home, both our minds and our bodies are spent.
That does not even include the pile of homework idly sitting in our backpacks. Most high schools are semestered, meaning students take four courses per semester. Non-semester high school students have to take double that as they don’t split years. Say students were given one piece of homework per class; that’s at least four already. Not to mention, we have constant tests, quizzes, projects, and essays.
Additionally, not all students are just students. Some have younger siblings they need to care for. Others may be surrounded by questionable environments; many may have a part-time job they work at to support their family. No one’s story is the same. Even if we have a caring, supportive home and no other obligations, school can still stress us out.
As well, with the rise of a movement to lessen the stigma around mental health issues, society is seeing an increase in students suffering from the aforementioned problems. Though technology and social media surely do play a part in this, it’s not solely because of them. Mental illnesses have been around for centuries; current generations are simply shining a light on them. That being said, however, adults should be mindful of how much schooling factors into mental health. I stand by the notion that educators and their curriculums can make or break how students view school. If teachers show that they care about and place our academic well-being above all else, then we will be excited to show up. On the other hand, should teachers not demonstrate that they want us there, we’ll follow that; rolling out of bed would be a pain for all of us. It’s all about the environment in which we learn.
I’m not proposing that we stop working altogether, of course; school is how we learn and prepare ourselves for our futures. Instead, I’m saying that high school students should have the opportunity to sleep in longer. Thus, the school bell should not ring until later in the morning to give way for those who cannot afford to sleep at regular times.