Did you know that teenagers have a different biological sleep pattern compared to adults and children? Studies have shown that the teenage brain tends to get tired around 10.30pm, and only properly wakes up at around 8am! This, alongside long, cold journeys to school at the crack of dawn, shows how the school system needs to be fixed in order for us to achieve our full potential. 

 

I’m sure you’re all familiar with online learning due to the pandemic that changed the world as we knew it. Since then, schools and students alike have become more accustomed to using software such as Microsoft Teams and Google Classrooms as an alternative to learning in class. Although it came at a time when everyone just wanted to leave the house, it could be useful for students now too. On average, learning from home has proven to be effective and should be considered as a tool for teachers to use at least partially. This would be particularly useful in times such as teachers being off, or when it's hard to get into school due to train strikes or snow storms, so that the transition between learning platforms is seamless and there is no loss of education.

 

A way that this could be integrated into current school life is to have either later starting times at school, or have days dedicated to online learning and days set for the classroom. This would mean students have a chance to wake up properly, have a good breakfast, and be prepared for the day ahead either way.

 

Some may disagree with this idea though since with online learning, there isn’t as much direct contact between students and teachers, which many highly value. Mr Hodgson of Beal High School says “Having students in class gets rid of the lag of online and allows for more one to one conversations with students”. Another issue some may see with this is that it may not be possible for younger students to stay at home whilst their parents are working, but for this I have a solution. 

 

By making education partly online for students in years 10-13, it allows students to have not only an active role in their education, but also allows them to build independence and take responsibility for their learning. If all else fails, certain students that fail to meet their deadlines/quality of work, or students who don’t have the facilities at home to study this way, could be asked or have the opportunity to come into school rather than working from home. From personal experience, I understand how challenging the transition from year 11 to year 12 can be - where you’re given all of the information on a silver platter, to having to be more independent and responsible for your education. Because of this, I feel like introducing a sense of independence from year 10 will make this transition less harsh for many students.