It’s been two years since the start bell time changed from 8:35 a.m. to 8 a.m. at Westdale Secondary. A group of parents and students say it’s not working.
“We asked for some attendance information and from September to December, there were eleven thousand late, or late absences in the first period,” said Catherine Roberts a parent to a student in the high school.
“By the time you get home, get ready, get lunch ready, things like that, he’s often not getting to bed until 11-11:30,” Lesley Redden who has a son in grade nine at the school.
“They are napping after school, and sometimes until 6, 7, 8 at night, and then I have to wake them again to make sure they end up falling asleep at a proper time,” said Shannon Boyle a concerned parent.
The school board said the change was made in Sept. 2021 to address the bus driver shortage.
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They said the changes were made after a joint bell time study through the Hamilton-Wentworth student transportation system and has allowed for a reduction of 27 buses on school routes and to ensure students aren’t delayed.
“That change was implemented without any consultation with the school community,” said Roberts.
The majority of the students CHCH News spoke with say the 8:00 a.m. start time is an issue for them, especially if they have extracurricular activities or a part-time job after school.
Students also explain the extra half hour in the morning makes a big difference in their day, especially those that take busses to get to school.
A petition was started and has so far garnered 1,100 signatures.
The school’s student council also conducted a survey. They say 63 per cent of students have indicated, that school starts too early, and they would like to change that.
Dr. Karen Patte, the Canada Research Chair in Child Health Equity and Inclusion, says school start times have a major impact on student’s sleep.
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“We had a study of over 70 high school students and we found schools with earlier start times, students were getting less sleep. In our research we have consistently found sleep as one of the strongest predictors of youth mental health,” said Dr. Patte.
Student council co-president Len Lu says a shortage of school bus drivers and equity issues need to be addressed if the start time is going to change.
“So many students from Westdale are from different wards, especially from the east have a lack of resources for international baccalaureate and French immersion,” said Lu.
The parents say they have gotten support from the school’s superintendent on this issue and will continue to advocate.
