A citizen-driven petition urging Taiwan’s Ministry of Education to push junior-high and high-school class start times to 10am has quickly gained momentum, collecting over 10,000 signatures within a week. In response, the ministry confirmed it will review the proposal and provide an official reply by November 14.Currently, most schools begin around 8am.
The petition suggests shifting hours to 10am–4pm while removing nonessential subjects to help students get more sleep, boost academic performance, and create time for hobbies and social interaction. Advocates argue that older students are independent commuters and do not need schedules aligned with parents’ work hours. They also warn that chronic sleep deprivation harms efficiency and increases risks of depression, self-harm, and suicide.Critics, however, caution that reduced school hours may simply push students into longer cram school sessions, without solving the root problem of poor sleep habits.Tri-Service General Hospital psychiatrist Yeh Chih-pin explained that teenagers’ biological clocks naturally favor later wake-up times.
While younger children should sleep by 9pm, bedtime shifts later each year through adolescence. He noted that while some people function on minimal rest, most need seven to eight hours, and about 20 percent of individuals are “night owls” who perform better later in the day.Yeh emphasized that no single schedule fits all students, advocating for flexibility and supportive measures.
He added that lecture-heavy teaching methods often bore students, leaving them fatigued during the day and awake late into the night. This cycle can gradually shift their biological rhythms, making it harder to align with traditional schedules.The debate highlights the tension between structured school systems and students’ mental and physical health, raising important questions about whether later start times could better support learning and well-being.
10am School Start Petition Sparks Debate on Student Health and Learning in Taiwan
