According to a law that sets the start of school at half past eight

Teenage students in California will get extra sleep time

• Parents and activists welcomed the new law.

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• Getting enough sleep boosts teens' mental health.

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• The sleep proposal sparks a wave of controversy.

  From the source

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Back to school after summer break will be a little different this year for California teens, who will be spending more time in bed than they used to.

The state's governor, Gavin Newsom, introduced the first US law requiring that high school classes not start before 8:30 in the morning.

The change comes after years of campaigning by parents and experts, who argue that America's children are sleep-deprived, harming their mental health.

Supporters of the new measure say students who don't get enough rest struggle with academic performance and are at greater risk of being involved in car accidents and suicide.

Adolescents need extra time in bed in the morning, because they stay up late at night, compared to other age groups, due to the delayed secretion of the sleep hormone “melatonin,” according to scientists.

Sisian Alverde will start the eleventh grade at Glendale High School at the end of August.

She has been enjoying an extra sleep since the start of last school year, when teachers shifted the start of lessons from 8 am to 8:30.

“This change has made going to school a lot easier,” said Alverde, 16 scientists. “In terms of getting up and focusing on studying, it's a lot easier than it used to be.”

The American teen said her academic performance was boosted by the extra sleep, a belief shared by her friends.

Joy Wake, who runs the "Start School Later" association, which campaigns for a change in school hours, said the change is long overdue, explaining that "the science is indisputable," adding that bodies including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, all support the procedure, "We know that when teens are allowed extra sleep, they do so, they'll have better mental health, do better in school, are better drivers and are less likely to commit suicide."

Under the new law, middle schools will be prevented from starting classes before 8 am, while secondary schools will start at or after 8.30 am.

California is the most densely populated state in America, and the changes will affect about three million students studying in high and middle schools.

The average high school start time in the country in 2017-2018 was 8 a.m., but about 42 percent started their days earlier, including 10 percent who rang their first class bell before 7.30 a.m., according to the National Center for Education.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends eight to 10 hours of sleep each night for 13 to 18-year-olds, a goal supporters of the new California law say is difficult to meet in early school times.

However, not everyone supports the new rules.

Opponents of the move argue that the authorities should leave such decisions to local regions and counties, which are in a better position to know what works for their children.

There are, too, concerns that the changes could disproportionately harm working-class families, who may not be able to start their days after the earlier timing and can now be forced to reschedule.

hard time

Jeremy Adams, a teacher at Bakersfield School in California, believes that the state's education system has gone through a difficult period, due to the disruption caused by the pandemic.

Adams, who has written a book about the challenges facing the new generation in America, adds that this is not the time to introduce more changes, “We are starting to get back on our feet, and return to some kind of normality, and this is a really bad time to make changes,” explaining that it should have been. Postponing the application of the law or canceling it completely.

Adams called the move "harsh policies" from the state government, and said local school districts are in a much better position to decide what's best for their students.

42%

of California students started their days before 8 a.m. last year.

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