Everyone knows there are major benefits to sleep and yet school starts a little too early for most people. The typical school in the UAE starts between 7am and 7:30am which would require students to wake up between 5:30am to 6:30am.

And since no teen wants to sleep early, they end up going to school the next morning with little energy.

A number of schools in Dubai have taken the applaudable decision of starting later in the morning so pupils can get more sleep!

A very commendable act that should be adopted everywhere *cough*.

Later start times at school means better punctuality, attendance rates and overall well-being of the students

Bloom World Academy, a school in Dubai, was one of the first schools to operate from 9am – 4pm.

In August 2022, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park shifted the start time from 7:30am to 8:15am. According to The National, after parents spoke to principal Ms Rebecca Coulte, they agreed to push the start time by 45 minutes. She noted that this had a positive impact on the student’s well-being, particularly with high-school pupils and they noticed that more students were opting for extra-curricular activities.

In August 2021, Jumeira Baccalaureate School shifted their school day to a start at 8:15 and has already seen punctuality improve.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that not getting enough sleep is associated with health risks such as obesity, use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, as well as poor academic performance.