Some single-session primary schools are starting classes at 8am, instead of the 7.30am start or earlier favoured by most other schools, even those that are single-session. These include North Vista Primary and Fernvale Primary in Sengkang, Huamin Primary and Naval Base Primary in Yishun and Opera Estate Primary in Siglap. They are among the 40 per cent of 179 primary schools with single sessions, which makes it possible for them to start and end the school day later. Principals, teachers, parents and pupils are happy with the change. Instead of the mad dawn rush to get to school, pupils get to spend some quality time with their parents over a proper breakfast. At North Vista, school proper does not start until 8.30am, so teachers get half an hour to interact with their students after the 8 o'clock assembly. The school day stretches to 2.20pm with two breaks, including one for lunch. For pupils, the best thing about an 8am start is being able to sleep in. A Sunday Times poll of 200 primary school children in July found that nearly half of them were not getting enough sleep. A paediatrician at KK Women's and Children's Hospital said the problem was definitely a cause for concern. She had seen an increasing number of children checking in for chronic sleep insufficiency and other sleep disorders.

The Education Ministry announced recently that it wants all schools to be single session in the future. That will give schools more leeway to start later, but not all may do so. The impediment is the resistance of schoolbus operators. They make earlier runs for schoolchildren and then ferry factory workers later in the morning. But schools should not be held hostage by these bus operators. The latter must adapt and invest in bigger fleets that can cope with both groups of passengers, or risk being edged out. On their part, older pupils can take public transport to school. All single-session schools should have the option to start later.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Oct 12, 2008.

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