Are Shorter School Hours Better?

Most students go to school from 8am-3pm. The COVID pandemic changed all of that. During the lockdown, students were introduced to online learning and hybrid schedules. These modified school schedules showed different  scheduling options to the education community.  The pandemic has brought a new wave of questions regarding school life including, are shorter school hours better?

According to The Washington Post, most American students will spend about seven hours in school.  There are some benefits to a structured school day. Students have the time to plan and prepare for their future by taking core classes and electives. According to NYCDOE, 1.1 million students eat breakfast and lunch at the city’s public schools. While students are in school, they are off the streets and staying out of trouble. The current school day provides many benefits to students.

However, many parents, students, and education experts are starting to question the traditional school day. One reason that has been cited by many is that children’s focus lessens throughout the day and it becomes harder to focus on schoolwork according to many current NYCDOE students.  A shorter school day would give students more time to study and sharpen their academic skills. Students would have a greater quality of sleep and have more energy for the next school day. According ti Sam Kemmis in the article. “The Science of Sleep and Productivity” , “Mounting evidence suggests that a good night’s sleep seriously boosts productivity. One study of 4,188 U.S. workers found “significantly worse productivity, performance, and safety outcomes” among those who slept less, and estimated a $1,967 loss in productivity per worker due to poor sleep.” In another report, experts looked at the role of attention deficit and the length of the school day. In Kristine Tucker’s article, “The Disadvantages of Longer School Days”, she writes, “Longer school days could result in attention deficit and fatigue, making the extra class time ineffective. When students are too tired or mentally exhausted to concentrate, the last hour of the day becomes useless.”.  In addition, students would have the time to master various academic, social, or professional skills during the off school hours. Katherine Bradley writes in “Shortening the School Day”that, ” Students might also have the opportunity to participate in internships, perform community service, take advanced classes or investigate another activity that might broaden their intellectual horizons.”

While students will always need the school structure, the way people want to learn has changed. This change might include a shorter school day. Schools will still provide the most educational opportunities,  but their schedules might look different than in past generations. A shorter school day