Most of us loved going to school, at least when we had grown up a little and had made friends who made school fun. But one of the main reasons everyone, from primary to secondary school students, hated school was their early timings.
Some of my friends, staying far off from school, used to wake up as early as 5:30 AM to be able to attend the assembly at 7:30 AM. Then in summer, the timings changed to 6:30 AM and students started missing school more often than not for obvious reasons.
Journalist Rituparna Chatterjee feels that early school timings are not only harming children but also negatively impacting their parents and killing working mothers.
“We were in a space where we were discussing how brutally early school timings are actually harming children and killing working mums whose day is basically 4:45-5 am to midnight. Immediately there’s that one parent who says: ‘So what? It’s good for kids to wake up really early’.”
She also slammed the parents who support schools in such things.
"I support the school and sent them an appreciation mail for new bus timing of 630". 🤢🤢
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) April 27, 2023
Backing her tweet with reason, she said that on days when kids wake up at 8 AM, they are the sharpest.
“Days the child wakes up at 8am (bedtime 10pm) he is at his sharpest. Not lethargic, not tired. Just jumping energetically into the day. The school has suggested (optional) early morning yoga classes now at premises ON TOP of everything and we were like lol no.”
Days the child wakes up at 8am (bedtime 10pm) he is at his sharpest. Not lethargic, not tired. Just jumping energetically into the day. The school has suggested (optional) early morning yoga classes now at premises ON TOP of everything and we were like lol no.
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) April 27, 2023
Interestingly, many came in support of her logic saying that kids learn better when they are well rested.
True, my 4 years old wakes up at 5am because his bus arrives at 6:30am for 7:30am school
— Qaynat (@Qaynatmazhar) April 26, 2023
no proper breakfast & lunch. can’t even go to the washroom properly early in the morning. disturbance in sleep routine, have to do activities when they are exhausted or it is nonproductive period. morning assembly so bad.
— Anuschka (@AnuschkaaPreeti) April 26, 2023
Grew up in the hills, school hours were 10 am to 4 pm, waking up at 5 am for school for the last 12 years has worsened my fibromyalgia and I can’t take a lot of medicines that require extended sleep hours
— Pooja Priyamvada (She/Her) (@SoulVersified) April 27, 2023
It’s just cruel for the younger ones. My first criteria for a school was afternoon timings
— Nitasha Natu (@nnatuTOI) April 26, 2023
My niece wakes up at 5 am to go to school. Just the thought hurts me.
— A. Kameshwari (@Kameshwari93) April 26, 2023
Have you read Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker? Sending kid to school early morning actually harms developing brain.
— Sandy Hossain (@spursgurl) April 26, 2023
So right. Empathy doesn’t exist. The authority as God; criticism as bad is innate belief. When I questioned nursery timings for 4yo’s school in a group, promptly came the reply that schools have systems. What systems? Are they going to join the army? Look at us the society
— Rupleena Bose (@papercheesecake) April 27, 2023
school timings are unfortunately optimized for 1)parents leaving for office after dropping kid in bus/school and reaching their work by 9 and 2) school buses before office commute time.
and NOT for what’s actually good for the kid and for learning.— Taru Kapoor (@tarukapoor) April 27, 2023
Whole of my life, I hv always seen primary schools at11am or later. Only pre schools in 8.30 am slot..
— Aarati (@AaratiTamore) April 27, 2023
In Bangalore, most schools start at 8:30. So the bus comes at around 7:30…. One of the reasons I’m happy to raise my kid here …at least she does not need to get up at 5-6 AM , 5 days a week. Also my view is kids learn more if they are well rested
— Shivi Mishra (@shivi_mishra) April 27, 2023
Reading this thread truly frightened me. I roll out of bed at 9 am n office at 10 am. I honestly function much better at night. Natural circadian rythm likw that always. 5 am crazy timings made me dislike going to school forever.
— Bookworm (@no_oneton) April 27, 2023
It’s terrible. In Mumbai schools run in 2 shifts which means the 1st shift is from 6an-12pm. Crazy timings. Other option being 12pm-6pm which is quite wasteful. Thankfully our school bus comes at 725 for which annie wakes up at 645, me at 630, after sleeping at 930 and 1030 resp.
— Ginny (@Velvetyvirgo) April 27, 2023
it is so hard. of course for the kids but for the nuclear families as well. we, thankfully, had an option to change to a more comfortable timing wala school. but in Bombay to see children at bus stops at 6 am, especially during the rains, is heart-breaking
— anu raj (@rajsahiba) April 27, 2023
Schools have to work for 6 hours per day. That combined with the fact that there is no space in Metro cities to expand, force them to have 2 shifts. 6am to 12 noon and the next one 12noon to 6pm. It’s terrible for everyone.
— Kay (@kaynair) April 27, 2023
I know of a primary school teacher who told me that even though little kids come to school at 6:30 AM, all they do is yawn, sleep, pee, poop, and the majority of their time goes into keeping them awake. In such situations, how are the kids expected to learn?
Moreover, parents have to wake up a couple of hours early and then their day becomes extra long and tiring. What do you think of this? Let us know.