A large-scale survey on the well-being of pupils has renewed calls for Flemish schools to consider starting the day later.
Surveying around 18,000 teenagers, the Flemish Pupils' Association (Scholierenkoepel) found that one in three feel too tired to concentrate every morning, while six in ten secondary school students say they are often too tired to properly follow morning lessons.
Early starts are a particular problem for pupils who have to travel to school, as many set their alarms at around 06:30 to catch a bus or train, said Scholierenkoepel chair Bas Vanhullebusch.
Sixteen-year-old Lila Nouhass, who attends the Atheneum in Zottegem, gets up at 06:20 to catch a train an hour later for an 08:20 start.
“Sometimes I don't fall asleep until around midnight, and I'm still very tired in the morning,” she told De Standaard. On the one day when she starts school during the second lesson, she notices “a world of difference” in her ability to concentrate.
Around 60% of the teenagers surveyed support starting the school day later.
'Brain fog'
Teenagers' exhaustion has a biological explanation, according to Julie Vanderlinden, a sleep researcher at Odisee University of Applied Sciences and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).
During puberty, teenagers' body clocks shift, making them naturally inclined to fall asleep and wake up later. However, they still need around eight to ten hours of sleep, meaning many do not get enough rest during the school week.
"They're unresponsive or grumpy. It's a feeling of 'the lights are on, but nobody's home'. There is a kind of brain fog," Vanderlinden told the Flemish daily.
Insufficient sleep can affect teenagers' attention, memory and ability to learn, as well as their physical and mental wellbeing.
Smartphones can make matters worse, as screen light and stimulation can keep the brain alert and interfere with melatonin production, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
However, Nouhass reportedly said phones are not the only culprit. She gives her phone to her parents at 22:00 and reads instead, but can still remain awake until midnight or later.
Flemish schools already have some flexibility. School days cannot begin before 08:00 and full days can continue until 17:00, according to Vanhullebusch.
The Scholierenkoepel chair argued that shifting the start of lessons from around 08:25 to 09:00 could already improve pupils' sleep and concentration.
Nouhass reported she would accept finishing later in exchange. "I wouldn't have a problem having an extra lesson every day," she told De Standaard.
