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Hypothetical scenario · estimate

Scenario: school day starting one hour later

If the school day in intermediate and secondary stages started one hour later than now, what do the numbers and published studies say?

3.0 millionintermediate and secondary students
241 thousandteachers in both stages whose day shifts
102extra sleep hours per student per year (estimate)
Our calculation

Possible gains

  • Intermediate and secondary students: studies in foreign cities recorded longer school-night sleep, including +34 minutes in Seattle.[2][3]
  • Students: the Seattle and Minnesota studies found higher grades and fewer late arrivals; a Cochrane review found mixed results and very low-quality evidence.[2][4][5]
  • Teenagers: a US medical body states that starting classes after 8:30 a.m. fits the natural delay of sleep at this age.[1]

Possible costs

  • Families: a US report says a changed school start time can put stress on families and home life.[6]
  • School transport: bus schedules and costs change, and they vary between districts.[6]
  • Students: less time for practices, after-school activities and part-time jobs.[6]

The balance (estimate)

Clearest gainers: Clearest gain: intermediate and secondary students, through longer sleep.

Clearest costs fall on: Clearest cost: families with clashing schedules, school transport, and students' after-school activities.

Strength of evidence: low — The studies come from foreign schools and some are small, Cochrane rated the evidence very low quality, and there is no direct Saudi measurement of student sleep.

Other scenarios