Why School Days Should Be Shorter: A Smarter Schedule for Students

The closer we are getting to technology, the more hectic it is becoming for students to deal with academic pressure and expectations. The students are already surrounded by multiple subjects, presentations, homework, assignments, and extracurricular activities on a daily basis. With longer days at school, it becomes even more hectic to complete the assigned homework, especially with no extra time for activities, family, sleep, or rest, which creates even more difficulties for them. According to the Los Alamos Reporter, 60% of middle schoolers and 70% of high school students report insufficient sleep. When students get less time to rest, get sleep, enjoy, play, or have time of their own, it eventually stresses them out and affects their performance negatively. 

Even an English Literature class on your favorite poet might seem extremely boring because your mind and body have been consuming a large amount of knowledge on different subjects without any breaks and for longer hours. This marked the beginning of losing interest in even the most exciting topics for students. When a question arises about why school days should be shorter, one must understand the impact of the longer day on students.  They may feel lost and find it challenging to comprehend the ideas and knowledge shared in class. The long hours make students exhausted, which impacts their performance. Some studies, for instance, those performed at RAND, indicate "a small to moderate drop in student achievement." However, studies by NWEA suggest that if districts simply add more instruction time to their last four days, the effect on achievement may not be noticeable. It means that organizing time differently may be more useful than just reducing the total time.

The Current State of School Days

More evidence for early school endings is present in the current state of schools in the USA, considering health, happiness, lesson quality, and reality. The main task is to identify the issue, and then coming up with answers will be much easier. It is time to see how American schools work and how they are adapting to the call for less school time. It is not just about the students, but a typical teacher in the US spends approximately 58 hours of work each week, which is much longer than when they are teaching students. It means managing planning, assessment, development, and other jobs that do not take place during your teaching hours:

Current Scenario

• Students in the US often spend 6 to 7 hours each day at school, which is usually from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM. 
• Usually, states call for around 180 days of school per year. Usually, people spend 900 to 1200 hours per year at school. 
• While some argue that the U.S. falls behind countries that score higher on tests, research from the OECD indicates that U.S. students spend more time in school. 
• The average middle school student in the U.S. spends around 1,022 hours per year in class, which is the 8th highest in thirty-four OECD nations. It shows that extending working time isn’t necessarily the solution; how time is spent matters more.
• There is growing evidence that having 4 day school week benefits are becoming more common, mainly in rural areas. At present, nearly 900 school districts in 24 states are following this schedule, a significant advancement from earlier times. 
• Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oklahoma, and Oregon contain a large number of districts working under this calendar. Results from research on the four-day workweek in education are not uniform.

Historical Trends in School Day Lengths

In the early days of American public education, formal schooling was far less structured. Children often attended school sporadically, for only a few months a year, usually during the winter when they weren’t needed on farms. Attendance was not compulsory, and education often competed with the demands of agrarian life and child labor. The concept of a "full-time" school year was alien to most families. The rise of industrialization influenced school schedules. A standardized school day and year became more practical for families where parents worked in factories, and the need for a more uniformly educated workforce grew. The 180-day school year became a widespread norm by the mid-20th century.

Reasons for Extended Hours

• The belief is that more time in class directly translates to higher test scores and better preparation for a globalized economy. 
• The ever-expanding body of knowledge and the addition of new subjects put pressure on schools to fit more into the day.
• Longer school days alleviate childcare burdens, as dismissal times are often later than typical workdays, reducing the need for extensive after-school care.
• Traditional teacher contracts often define a specific number of instructional days and hours, making changes complex and requiring negotiations.

The Impact of Long School Days 

Long school days have far-reaching impacts on students, affecting their health, academic performance, and social development. While the intention behind longer hours is often to boost academic achievement, research suggests that the effects can be complex and sometimes counterproductive.

Health Impacts

• Sleep Deprivation: Since school typically starts before 8:30 AM in most U.S. high schools, teens must rise early despite their natural sleep patterns being later. Not getting enough sleep over time can cause a person to develop obesity, diabetes, and heart problems. It may also cause a person to feel depressed, anxious, irritable, and have more mood swings. Specific research has found that people who get too little sleep may be more likely to think about or attempt suicide. This increases the likelihood of students getting ill.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that teenagers get 8-10 hours of sleep, though many research studies still find that most don’t meet this need. Students have to wake up early for classes, work on tasks from school, and take part in clubs after school, which means they barely get enough rest.

• Stress and Burnout: All the studying and busy tasks can prevent students from unwinding, having fun, or taking some time off. This is one of the reasons people get mentally tired and burnt out. Sometimes, anxiety appears physically as headaches, stomach pains, exhaustion, and trouble focusing.
• Reduced Physical Activity: Students end up with less physical activity both at school and after class hours because they are seated for long periods. This leads people to spend more time sitting, which can increase the number of overweight children. In Finland, which has shorter class times, schools usually include plenty of chances for movement and play.
• Poor Nutrition: They may skip healthy meals and eat unhealthy snacks if something at home or school means they don’t have time for proper food. Overall health and energy can both be affected in this way.

Academic Impacts

• Limited Attention Spans: Experts say that younger children do not have much attention. Eventually, increasing instruction time doesn’t help because students start to feel tired, less interested, and find it hard to take in any new knowledge.
• Reduced Focus: Being tired mentally makes it hard for students to focus, remember what they are taught, and participate effectively in lessons. Being consistently exposed to learning material can make people bored and less motivated.
• Quality over Quantity: Although it may make sense that too much time can lead to less learning, studies disagree. Researchers emphasize that what happens in class and how classes are organized matter much more than how often they take place.

Social Impacts

• No Extracurricular Activities: With such packed school schedules and high homework, students do not have much time for sports, art, music, clubs, or service to the community. Less effort is spent on exploring passions that don’t involve school subjects, which may be necessary for many careers and personal satisfaction.
• Less Family Time: Because of extended school hours, families have less time for togetherness and shared experiences. It can cause problems in family ties and decrease how involved parents are in their child’s activities outside school.
• Lack of Socialization: Children who have plenty of unstructured time and chances to play are able to improve their thinking, creativity, and independence. Because school takes up many hours each day, children have little time for play.

Benefits of Shorter School Days 

Shorter school days offer a range of potential advantages for students, impacting their health and well-being, academic performance, and overall life balance. While there are considerations and possible drawbacks to address, the benefits of shorter school days often highlight a more holistic approach to education:

Academic Performance:

• Paying More Attention: Students may be able to focus better on lessons because there are fewer hours in the school day. The mental tiredness that can happen with a whole day of learning is not present, so students may focus more easily and understand the material better. This often makes people understand things more quickly.
• Improved Information Retention: Better sleep and stress management help you keep information. Subjects are understood better and remembered more when students learn in short bursts.
• Quality over Quantity: It’s suggested that the length of study sessions does not signal how effective learning might be. Instead, it focuses on the effectiveness of teaching and how much students take part in it while they are at school. With fewer things happening at once, both teachers and students work better.

Health and Well-being:

• Reduced Stress and Burnout: There is a risk of Stress and Burnout since many things are happening at school, and it takes a long time each day. The shorter school days statistics suggest that it gives students time to do things they like and relax, which is very good for their mental health.
• Increased Sleep: Going to school for many hours a day tends to push children awake early and leave them studying late, making it difficult for their bodies to rest at the correct times. When we get more sleep, we sometimes have quicker thinking, greater memory power, better efforts at staying focused, and feel better emotionally. A chance to overcome stress, fear, and the risk of mental health problems like depression.
• Less Class Time: Because there is less time spent in school, students have more opportunities to exercise, and this is important for their bodies and might improve their thinking and mental health.
• Enhanced Mental Health: Having several short school days each week helps students relax more and manage stress, so their mental health improves.

Life Balance:

• Increased Family Time: Students can focus on their families more, helping relationships at home and decreasing stress. This one from the benefits of shorter school days is vital because family must be prioritized for peace of mind. This allows younger children the most and can encourage a safer and more united home environment.
• Extracurriculars and Hobbies: Being home earlier allows students to spend more time on hobbies, school activities, or sports. Taking part in physical activities strengthens the mind, social skills, creativity, and physical well-being.
• Part-Time Work: Older students find it easier to work or go to appointments when classes are not scheduled all day.
• Lesson Planning: Because days will be shorter, teachers will have more time to organize lessons, attend professional growth sessions, and rest without being too exhausted, which will make them happier and less likely to get burned out at work.

Addressing Counterarguments

Counterargument 1: Longer school days provide more instructional time

Rebuttal: Many educational institutions consider longer school hours to be more productive for students at the school, which helps them learn more and grow with better grades and understanding. However, this is just a myth! Modern-day studies and research show that longer days have only a negative impact on students: 

“Quality teaching is more effective than extended hours. Efficient methods can cover the curriculum” - Chartered College of Teaching.

Benefits of Shorter School Hours:

• Students will be able to spend more time on other activities that will connect them with art. 
• They will be less tired, which lets them have proper sleep so they can be active throughout the day. 
• When students have time, they will be able to spend time with their families. 
• They will be more focused in class and be able to collect the required knowledge. 
• They will face less anxiety and stress with a peaceful mind. 

Counterargument 2: Prepares students for adult work schedules.

Rebuttal: With more extended hours, students can be more focused and disciplined to adapt to the adult work routine. Unfortunately, this is also a myth as adult life becomes even more hectic, and if the students do not get through academic life with positivity, then they will not be able to deal with work life. They will be less confident with zero interest in their work and performance. Longer school hours can lead to negative impacts on students, leaving them with limited time to learn other necessary skills of life, ultimately creating a workforce with limited creativity. If students are less creative with limited play time, then they will not be able to cope with adult work schedules. Another research says, “Modern workplaces value flexibility; shorter school days teach balance.”

10 reasons why school days should be shorter

1. Fatigue in Students: School days that start very early, day after day, can make students lose sleep and become very worn out. Less sunlight during the day might help students stay more attentive in class. 
2. Focused on their studies: When children sleep enough and have free time, they tend to pay more attention to what they learn during school hours. Towards the end of a hectic day, it can be hard to give as much attention as you did at the start.
3. More Time for Activities: Giving students a shortened school day would mean they have more time for sports, arts, music, volunteering, or hobbies. This may benefit a person’s growth in many areas and decrease stress.
4. Improved Mental Health: Pressure and stress from the length of the school day and challenging academic work can lead to mental health issues. Having more personal time might improve one’s mental health and make it easier to balance school and personal life.
5. Opportunity for Deeper Learning: This is one of the most essential points in the list of 10 reasons why school days should be shorter, as less operating time may assist in improving learning by allowing teachers to spend more time explaining important ideas to each student.
6. Work-Life Balance for Teachers: Teachers are at risk of burnout because of the long hours they work. Having students leave school early could mean teachers can spend more time on planning, learning new things, and unwinding, which might make them happier and more expert.
7. Family Time Decreases: When students are in school for long periods, families do not see each other much. Because it gets darker earlier, families may gather more often and enjoy time together, which helps them bond.
8. Flexibility for Skill Development: For high school students, fewer hours in school can open up time for extra work, internships, or vocational learning.
9. Reduced Behavioral Issues: When students are tired, they may start to engage in destructive behavior. Less tired students may make the learning atmosphere more peaceful and effective.
10. Adaptation to Modern Learning Styles: Because there are endless ways to learn and discover information now, teaching in a conventional way without changing may limit learning. If school is done in smaller, more concentrated sessions, with breaks for studying on their own, students might succeed more.

These 10 reasons why school days should be shorter are enough to convince that shorter days are beneficial in every way for students. 

Practical Steps for Advocacy

To advocate for shorter school days, students and parents ought to use an innovative and well-planned strategy. Backing your argument with facts and a strong understanding of what could happen if the product is accepted is essential. Here are things students and parents can do to ask for shorter school days:

• Students and Parents must understand the reason why they are asking for short school days and must gather data and research that proves their point. 
• They must have a list of drawbacks that longer days offer and how they negatively impact students' physical and mental health. 
• They must have examples of schools that are following the 4 day school week benefits and how students have been performing with academic and personal growth. 
• Connect with other students and parents who share similar concerns. A larger, organized group has more influence.
• They must share personal anecdotes about how long school days affect their sleep, stress levels, ability to focus, and engagement in learning.
• Propose surveys or forums to gather more student input on school day length.

Professional Actions: 

• Parents must speak to school management and schedule a meeting with the principal, school superintendent, or relevant school board member.
• Work officially and send letters or emails to the administrations with all your concerns and collected data. 
• Come prepared with your research proposal and a calm, collaborative demeanor. Focus on facts and student well-being.
• A well-supported petition can demonstrate widespread community interest.
• Work with your school's Parent-Teacher Association or Organization to put the issue on their agenda and mobilize other parents.
• Present the problems students face because of the longer days. 
• It usually takes a long time to advocate effectively. Keep your attitude and team spirit up, even if others are not cooperative.
• Highlight what shorter school days statistics show and can do for education and students, and avoid only focusing on how the system is currently run.

Conclusion

Longer hours at school prevent students from having time outside of school. After such long hours, they have to finish their homework, which again takes their time, leaving them with no time to rest, sleep, enjoy, play, or even have time with family. At the same time, the shorter hours improve health with better academic outcomes and enhanced life balance. When students are left with time of their own, they will be able to process everything more clearly and with interest.