Expert: A later start to school would be better for teenagers
Teenagers falling asleep in class early in the morning is a common sight. An education researcher wants to change this and sees benefits in a later school start. But there is a catch.
Stade/Hamburg (dpa/lni) – According to experts, older students in particular benefit from a later school start, as they need more sleep in the morning. Sleep research has shown that students in puberty are less efficient in the early morning, said Marc Kleinknecht, an expert in educational science and school development at the Leuphana University in Stade, to the „Hamburger Allgemeine Zeitung“ (Friday). „The older students are, the later they go to bed.“
They need more sleep in the morning, but the regular school start does not allow this, Kleinknecht said. Getting up at 7:00 in the morning or even earlier is a struggle for many. If teenagers were not sleepy in class, their well-being would improve. On the other hand, starting school at 8:00 a.m. in primary schools is not a problem, younger children are usually already alert and able to learn at that time.
Expert calls for introduction of mandatory all-day school
A school start at 9:00 a.m. would be desirable at secondary schools, according to Kleinknecht. To get working parents on board, schools would have to offer childcare before this time, he demanded. This also meant transitioning to a mandatory all-day school with learning and relaxation phases in the morning and afternoon „We need to move away from an overloaded school morning with 45-minute chunks.“ The current open all-day operation with voluntary afternoon activities is a cost-cutting model, a real, mandatory all-day school costs the state money and personnel.
An open or later school start would certainly make sense for older students in puberty, said the chairwoman of the Parent Council, Miriam Kaschel, to the newspaper. Overall, the education system must become more flexible to meet the individual needs of students.
School management association: Dependence on public transport
In the rural state of Lower Saxony, schools cannot simply decide to start classes later, said the chairman of the school management association, René Mounajed. One reason for this is the dependence on public transport.