American scientists are sure that modern children suffer from chronic lack of sleep. The experts told VM about the pros and cons of the second shift.
Disputes about what time classes should start at school have been going on for a long time and at different levels: teachers argue, officials argue, doctors argue, and, in the end, the students themselves argue. Over the past 30 years, the time at which the bell rang for the first lesson has changed several times in Russian schools, ranging from 8 to 9 in the morning. Some were "lucky" (and maybe not even in quotes) to study on the second shift, when classes began in the afternoon.
As we wrote earlier, there is no consensus among teachers about the second shift. Some believe that well-rested children are much more productive, better learn the material, have more interest in subjects. On the other hand, with such a daily routine, there is practically no time left for extracurricular activities. It makes no sense to go to circles and sections in the morning - after all, you need to get enough sleep, otherwise why study on the second shift? In the evening you need to do your homework, and sometimes you need to relax.
I myself remember how we studied on the second shift, - says educational psychologist Anna Burmistrova. - Classes alternately transferred to the first, then to the second. And those who came to school in the morning envied those who came almost at noon. But it took a week to study on the second shift, as everyone understood - nothing good. Today's educational program involves an even greater burden on children, and it is difficult for children to even have time to do all the "homework", not to mention entertainment and sports sections.
In the course of a study conducted by American scientists, two groups of schoolchildren were studied. The first lesson began at 07:50, the second came to the first lesson at 8:45. The performance of the second group increased by five percent.
However, even taking into account the biological characteristics of people of different ages, psychologists warn: teenagers themselves can turn the thesis about adolescent “owls” into an effective “excuse”.
Naturally, putting a teenager to bed at 10 pm is unrealistic, says psychologist Daria Chunina. - At the same time, parents need to be prepared for manipulation. To the phrase: "Go to bed, it's already two in the morning," they can contrast the scientific fact: "I'm a teenager, I'm a night owl, I can't fall asleep this early." You need to know the measure in everything. Children always think that their energy is endless, but nervous exhaustion accumulates, and more or less severe stress can cause a nervous breakdown. In general, scientists agree that the beginning of the school day is a case when half measures will be in demand. It will be effective to transfer the call to the first lesson for an hour or two, but not for half a day.
The President of Belarus proposed to consider in the Parliament the issue of starting school classes not at 8 am, but at 9 am. He won't fall asleep early in the evening anyway. As some teachers say: wake up at 7 in the morning - go to bed earlier. Remember yourself: often did you go to bed early? - said the Belarusian leader during a speech in the Oval Hall on October 7.
As noted Candidate of Medical Sciences, pediatrician Viktor SOLNTSEV, sleep is an important component of a healthy psycho-emotional state of children. In addition, if a first-grader sleeps less than 7-8 hours a day, his performance decreases by 30%. Therefore, from a medical point of view, an extra hour of sleep will benefit the child.
The beginning of classes at the school is regulated by sanitary standards. They stipulate that classes should not start before 8.00 and end after 20.00. At the same time, in many educational institutions there is an unspoken recommendation not to assign control, independent, laboratory and other important types of work to the first lessons.
By the way, in many rural schools in Belarus, classes already begin at 9.00. The first lesson in lyceums is usually set at 8.30. This is due to the need to take into account the interests of children who come to study from distant areas of a large city, and sometimes from the suburbs.
Not so simple
The director of one of the Minsk schools believes that the postponement of the start of classes at the school can turn into unexpected problems. So, parents whose working day starts at 8.00 will face a problem: what to do with their son or daughter, students in the first grade, before the start of school lessons? Be late for work and bring the child to class on your own or “connect” grandparents?
Also, a later start of the school day can cause problems in educational institutions where there is a second shift. The shift in the morning schedule will also affect the start of classes for the students of the second shift, therefore, the lessons for them will end later. In some cases, children will return home closer to 8 pm. Or the lesson will have to last less than 45 minutes.And how are they?
In Russia and Ukraine, the start time of lessons at school is 8.00. However, as with us, in some cases it may change. For example, in some educational institutions in Moscow, Kyiv and other large cities, due to traffic congestion, classes can start at 8.30 or 9.00. Most often, studies begin at 8 am in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
In some schools in China, classes start at 7:30 am, in Japan at 8:45 am, in the US between 8 and 9 am, and in Australia students come to class by 9 am.
TEACHERS, parents and their children are concerned about the upcoming innovation: from September 1, it is proposed to start classes at schools at nine in the morning. The issue is scrupulously worked out from different positions: opinions are monitored by the Ministry of Education. Is it worth it to be cautious when approaching innovation?
The essence of the issue is that the leadership of schools where training is conducted in two shifts will independently decide on the start of classes - from 8.30 or 9.00. The innovation will not bypass rural schoolchildren, who, for a moment, are sometimes deprived of the opportunity to simply cross the road and end up in school. Some guys need to take a bus to a neighboring village. However, given these circumstances, it turns out that it is just beneficial for them to start studying at nine in the morning.
This is proved, for example, by the experience of the Kurenets school in the Vileika region. Classes start there at 9:00 am. By this time, all the students (and there are 123 of them) are going to school. Moreover, 40 schoolchildren are brought up from nearby villages. In order to deliver them all to classes, the school bus specially makes three flights so that students from six villages - Balashi (this is the point farthest from the school, which is located 35 kilometers from Kurents), Rechki, Bogdanovo, Khomintsy, Ivontsevichi, Savino - arrive on time .
There are also students in the Khilchitska school in the Zhitkovichi district who are taken to school by bus. Of the 117 people here, 65 are from the villages of Lyubovichi and Berezhtsy in the Zhitkovichi region, as well as from the village of Lutki in the Stolin region. However, school starts at 8:30. It is quite possible to move the time by nine. And even necessary, the school administration believes. After all, the beginning of classes at 9.00 is fixed in the sanitary and epidemiological standards, and those, in turn, are confirmed by relevant studies.
Some fathers and mothers ask questions: we, they say, to work by 8.00 (mostly all children in the villages are from families of agricultural workers), but what about the child? How will he pass the time at school before classes? You shouldn't worry. If you bring your child to school, say, by eight in the morning, then until the first lesson he will be in business: they can do exercises with him, play, help prepare for school. Professional teachers (teacher-organizer, psychologist or subject teacher) will definitely work with the children. The teachers who will look after the children before the start of the lessons, if the schools switch to a new work schedule, will be paid for this work.
In any case, it is good that now the Ministry of Education, executing the order of the President, given on May 12, is studying the opinions of parents. So far, there is nothing alarming about starting the first lesson at 9.00. And teachers are ready to adapt to the work schedule of parents who are used to delivering a child to school before nine. The most important thing is that fathers and mothers can and should be calm, because school is just the very place where the child is always supervised.
Finnish schoolchildren sit down at their desks at 9 am. Teachers spend no more than 4 hours a day on teaching. The week is five days, but Friday is a shortened day. After all, another idea of Finnish schools: you study less - you know more!
USA
There are many private schools in New York, and many have their own rules. In some schools, one lesson can last 50 minutes.
The school day starts at 8.30 and ends, with a minimum number of lessons, at 14:30.
Photo source: wikimedia.org
Study, I must say, is intense, but they often rest - in addition to holidays, there are also American national and Jewish holidays.
Canada
In Canadian schools, the duration of the lesson is 75 minutes. Classes start at 9:10 am and end at 3:30 pm. Interestingly, students are graded as a percentage (for example, 50-60% is a “three”, 65-75% is a “four”).
India
Schoolchildren study for 6 days, sometimes 6-8 lessons per day, lasting 35 minutes.
Photo source: radical.ru
Lessons start at 9 am.
Israel
Lessons start at 8 am and end at 13:00.
Most schools practice double lessons, i.e. 1 lesson can last 90 minutes (2 times 45). Israel has a six-day school week, but, unusually, it starts on Sunday. Saturday is a day off.
The educational system in Israel is divided into 3 stages, where the elementary school is a separate unit.
There are many of them and they are located several in each district of the city.
Thus, even in primary school, children of 6-7 years old can get on their own. As a rule, from home to the doorstep of the school 5-10 minutes on foot (in the worst case 15).
Japan
Lessons in schools start at 8:30 - 8:45 and last 45 minutes each.
Breaks are 5-10 minutes, but in elementary school there are 20 minutes. At 12:30 - lunch, after which the elementary school students leave, and the high school students study further.
Photo source: pixabay.com
In secondary school there are 6-7 lessons, they end around 16 hours. Why so late? Because students have 50 minutes for lunch. In Japan, "six days", but every second Saturday is a day off. Saturday classes usually start at 8:30 and end at 15:00.
What country's experience can serve as an example?