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As far as I know, that discussion never went anywhere. Parents and teachers said a lot about it; a few doctors chirped up about the importance of adequate rest; some principals were interviewed for their opinions; and a few eccentric people even talked about the necessity of the hardship of getting up early as an essential character-building tool. But in the end most primary schools continued to start at the traditional time 7:30 am.

Back to the future. Recently my wife and I attended the orientation programme of my son’s primary school (he begins Primary One next year). We learned that while the school officially started at 7:30 am, all the kids were to be in school by 7:10 am sharp.

– Mr Wang Says So, The Little Kiddies and their Beauty Sleep.

Personally, I believe school should start later, and my belief is backed up by scientific evidence:

• Start school later in the morning, say sleepy teens.
• Schools Waking Up to Teens’ Unique Sleep Needs.

However, this whole debacle about school start times can be (again) effectively eradicated if the idea I proposed yesterday kicks off.