Bill Seeks to Ban School Classes Earlier than 8:30am

A bill seeking to ban school classes earlier than 8:30. It was based on studies that later starting time at schools results to a better academic performance of students. Another reason is to consider the overall well-being not only of students but also parents and guardians who have to wake up early to help prepare children to school.

in the current system, shifting schedules are done due to the large volume of schoolers. There are classes that starts as early as 5:30 which includes the flag raising ceremony that lasts for about 30 minutes, hence, the first actual class starts around 6am and last shift usually ends around 8pm.

But in more exclusive schools where the number of students is limited, school hour is maintained from 8am to 4 or 5pm with two snack breaks for 15 to 30 minutes and lunch break of not less than an hour.

But compared to the other Asian counterparts, the study time of Filipino learners isn’t as hectic. Some neighboring countries such as Japan have the after school institutions (cram schools) and other developmental activities such as music and sports academies. In the Philippines, only a handful of families can handle such extra expenses since such types of schools require relatively to ridiculously high fees. So children and young adults who have multiple skills and talents, except genetic reasons,  are usually deemed well-off or at least, not economically challenged.

In addition, Filipino young learners used to seldom stay up late to study and rarely wakes up early unless they need to go to school. Bed time was usually set around 9 or 10pm because parents take care of their children’s physical health and give high importance to getting enough sleep but in recent years, learners tend to sleep later because of gadget usage and changed lifestyle due to technology. With shifting schedules, not only that the children suffer from lack of sleep but also the parent or guardian who needs to prepare their needs and see them off to school.

As an overview, regardless of the time the lesson starts, the government should look more into the root of the problem. Education is important and we are all after excellent quality, but can everyone afford to go to school? How about the families who wanted to send their kids to school but couldn’t? I think the priority should be equal opportunity and access to education. Not everyone can afford formal education, so what’s in store for them?

Vocabulary

guardian(n):someone who is legally responsible for looking after someone’s else child, especially, after the child’s parents have died.

counterpart(n): someone or something that has the same job or purpose as someone or something else in a different place.

hectic(adj):very busy or full of activity

deem(v):to think of something in a particular way or as having a particular quality; SYN:consider