By paNOW

School division chair ponders later start for high schools

Feb 7, 2017 | 1:00 PM

The chair of the Sask. Rivers School Division is wondering whether letting high school students sleep in a little longer would be conducive to learning.

During Monday night’s regular board of education meeting, chair Barry Hollick mentioned possibly pushing the high school start time later after he read a recent study by McGill University. He suggested the school division could do a pilot project on a single high school.

“Right now the board hasn’t considered it in its plans,” he said. “It was something that I thought, as we make plans for the future. Something to consider.”

The research, which was published in the Journal of Sleep Research, found one in three teenagers in Canada don’t get enough sleep, which impacts academics and physical activity. The study found delaying school start times to 9:30 a.m. had measurable benefits for teenagers.

Hollick believed the idea could be implemented far easier in the city but could prove to be a challenge at rural schools since high school and elementary students share the same bus.

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He explained the board would have to first meet to discuss the idea and decide if a study is warranted. The division would also need to gather input from parents and students before going forward.

He said he could see a later start being implemented within a few years if the idea received support from parents, students, teachers and the board.

“There’s been research on this topic for a number of years,” he said. “I remember even when I was in grad studies at university, we were reading about a later start. As we look at busing next year and different calendars, this is just a consideration that the board can look at.”

High School students in P.A. start their days at 8:50 a.m.

Jeff.Labine@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @labinereporter