大象传媒

Indonesia: High schools taking part in early morning school start trial

Alarm clock showing time as 05:30Image source, Getty Images

What are you like in the mornings when it's time to get up for school? Are you raring to go or do you prefer an extra few minutes in bed?

Well, spare a thought for children in the Indonesian city of Kupang, in south-east Asia who certainly can't enjoy a lie-in.

Some high schools there are currently taking part in a trial which sees their school day starting at 5:30 in the morning!

The people behind it say they think it will help with school discipline.

How would you feel about starting your school day earlier? Let us know by taking part in our vote and you can also leave a comment below!

If you cannot see this interactive, click here.

What's happened?

The trial project in Indonesian city of Kupang involves children in twelfth grade (17-18 year olds) at ten different high schools and sees the students starting classes at 5:30am.

Schools in Indonesia generally start between 7:00 and 8:00 in the morning.

However, many parents have said that their children are "exhausted" by the time they get home.

Image source, Getty Images

Schools days around the world start at different times.

In Europe for example, lessons in many countries traditionally start between 7:30 and 8:30 - however the school day also finishes earlier - generally around lunchtime or the early afternoon.

The idea is that this leaves more time in the afternoon for activities and playing outside before it gets too late.

Image source, Getty Images

According to a study by the National Centre for Education Statistics in 2020, the US average school start time was 8:00am, although many started even earlier.

A 2014 study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle and high schoolers start classes at 8:30 am or later to allow enough time for sleep.

In the UK, the average is between 8:30 and 9am but in 2014 one school in the UK experimented by starting lessons for sixth formers at 1.30pm to help teenagers get more sleep!

Would you prefer to start school a little earlier in the morning so that you could finish school sooner and have more free time in the afternoon? Or do you like your routine at the moment?