Are early school start times impacting students’ academic performance?

California’s governor Gavin Newsom has just signed a new law that bans middle schools in the state from starting earlier than 8.30am. This comes after a growing movement and a US public health campaign that advocates for older students to get more sleep. According to the Sacramento Bee, “State Sen. Anthony Portantino, the La Cañada Flintridge Democrat who wrote the law, said Senate Bill 328 is based on “indisputable” science that shows that students are healthier and happier when get to sleep in a little later.” Portantino said, “This is a public health bill that has a positive academic outcome. The overwhelming benefit to the health and welfare of children demands that we make those changes.” School typically starts at 8am in the US, while in countries in Asia, it can start as early as 7.30am. In the UK, lessons start at 9 am – but even that is seen as too early by some. According to Yahoo UK, “Earlier this year in the UK MPs considered calls for the school day to start at 10am to help tired teenagers. “The debate came after a petition urging the Government to consider the plea gained more than 183,000 signatures – a petition that gains more than 100,000 signatures is considered for debate in parliament.”The petition calls for school start times to begin at 10am as teenagers are too tired from having to wake up so early to head to school.