Have you ever gotten home from school and felt exhausted? Well, studies have shown that releasing kids early from school is beneficial in many different ways. Getting out early gives kids more time to do homework, household chores, and other extracurricular activities. According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, having shorter school days has been proven to lower obesity rates, improve sleep, and reduce mental health issues. It is also thought that if days were shorter and teachers had less instruction time, they would be more productive and focused on teaching and not on other things. Kids also have so much going on. 56% of high school students play a sport, and 44% play more than one sport. More than half of high school students stay after school or even come to practice early in the morning for their sport. Students also have to manage responsibilities outside of school such as chores and homework. High schools don’t give teens enough downtime during the school day, and after a long day of school, they deserve time to themselves. A shorter school day would give kids time to rest before they do their extracurricular activities.
