Why do schools start so early?

I commute to work about 0730 but there's always loads of schoolkids on the bus at that time! I feel sorry for them, when I was at school I woke up at 0830 and school started at 9am.

Even at uni lectures only started at 9am and I currently start work at the same time.

I think it's a bit harsh that kids have to start at 8am!

When i go past schools there are kids hanging around the gates even at 0730! Crazy they want to arrive there so early!

When i go past schools there are kids hanging around the gates even at 0730! Crazy they want to arrive there so early!

To prep kids for their 9-5 jobs in the future ofc.


Their parents might start work earlier.

I think that schools and the education system does a very poor job at doing this (look at exams and homework for example (I'm pro homework and pro exams but our attitude towards these 2 things and how they are done is poor imo and not reflective of the workplace in any shape of form, if we exclude university)).

You’ve never worked in an office, clinic or cafe then. Most are 9-5 or 8-4.

School times are also how they are because when parents do the ‘school run’ they are often dropping their kids off at school on their way to work. How are kids going to get to school if their parents start at 8:30 or 9 if the kids start at 10? Having kids wait around for an hour or more at school defeats the whole point. Even if the kids get the bus to school the parents will be getting them ready at the same time as getting ready to go to work. Can’t get them ready if you’re meant to leave for work at the time when you’d be getting them ready for a 10am start.

I'm talking about secondary school only of you read my reply properly. At secondary school you should be able to go to school and get ready all by yourself (I appreciate that this might not be possible for everyone) for primary school I wouldn't change anything.

Secondary school same difference. Many secondary school pupils do not live within a reasonable east quick walk to their school. You cannot change an entire system and make these students lose out in the process. It is how it is and tends to work for the vast majority of people.

Upending the system to please some people who want to start later is discrimination against the rest. In the UK you have a right to an education, you can’t infringe on a group of people’s rights and make them miss out just because you fancy a change yourself.

Upending the system to please some people who want to start later is discrimination against the rest. In the UK you have a right to an education, you can’t infringe on a group of people’s rights and make them miss out just because you fancy a change yourself.

I didn't live within a reasonable walking distance either in Sixth Form so I used public transport, didn't have the privilege of parents being able to drop me off outside of the exams season had to make my own way like many secondary school kids do (I'm aware of the fact that some places have crap transport links). If you disagree with me then that's fine but I'm simply offering a suggestion and I'm not the first person on TSR to offer said suggestion.

Calling it discrimination is a big much. Ultimately, the start time will ALWAYS suck for a large group of people. A 9AM start time is no better for a warehouse worker starting at 6 than it is a 10AM start time for an office worker starting at 8. Like, to say X time is discrimination because it screws someone over is a bit nonsensical really because the start time would screw people over no matter what time it starts.

Regardless, I do actually agree, 10am is a silly start time because it screws over virtually every single day shift worker with kids. It might be better for the kid's education, but no doubt it'll be worse for them as their parent's relationship is strained due to lack of contact when one of them has no choice but to work afters/nights or face paying childcare costs.

Also we don't need school traffic adding to the 4/5PM rush hour chaos we already have...

As you say not everyone has the same good access to public transport. Many secondary school kids although they should, do not get out of bed on time without prompting from parents, do not make their own breakfasts, do not make their own travel plans and check times out of their own initiative, do not have money prepared for the bus each morning, etc. The government knows this. Guarantee there’d be no end of issues every day when mum and dad are at work and these kids can’t get to school properly.

Of course you’re entitled to your opinion. I have found most people of this opinion on TSR simply want to start later because they feel like it, not giving any tangible benefits for it, and not understanding the logistical issues that it would cause. I have had jobs where I started at 7am, 8am, 9am in different sectors.

It does prepare you to get up earlier than you would like, because that is actually life. I don’t know any businesses or places of work in my city that open at 10am, neither have I worked for any. As much as some days I’d love to roll in at 10 it’s not realistic or reflective of working life.

I commute to work about 0730 but there's always loads of schoolkids on the bus at that time! I feel sorry for them, when I was at school I woke up at 0830 and school started at 9am.

Even at uni lectures only started at 9am and I currently start work at the same time.

I think it's a bit harsh that kids have to start at 8am!

I'm saying that schools as a whole don't prepare you for the working life adequately (not simply the principal of being in school for 9 am).

I don't think that not being able to get out of bed in time, make breakfast etc are valid excuses the public transport and workplace ones are definitely a valid excuse though.

I'm disorganised a hell to the point where I'm going to ask for help on how to stay organised but even I make a effort to plan what time I need to wake and leave the house to get to places (I don't get people who don't do this regardless of what time they need to be somewhere) as the bare minimum. If I wake up late, I rush and still make an effort to get on time (I hate being late if it's my fault that I'm late), if it's out of my control then I've stopped caring about being late (used to panic too when that happened but decided that it's not worth it).


I think that the current school starting time is still fine though but simply offering an alternative if people are that bothered about starting school at 9:00 am. I don't see the issue with starting a 9:00 am though, anything earlier than 8:00 then I'd say that's too early.

Calling it discrimination is a big much. Ultimately, the start time will ALWAYS suck for a large group of people. A 9AM start time is no better for a warehouse worker starting at 6 than it is a 10AM start time for an office worker starting at 8. Like, to say X time is discrimination because it screws someone over is a bit nonsensical really because the start time would screw people over no matter what time it starts.

Regardless, I do actually agree, 10am is a silly start time because it screws over virtually every single day shift worker with kids. It might be better for the kid's education, but no doubt it'll be worse for them as their parent's relationship is strained due to lack of contact when one of them has no choice but to work afters/nights or face paying childcare costs.

Also we don't need school traffic adding to the 4/5PM rush hour chaos we already have...

6 am was my routine for many years

I don’t think it’s a bit much. The current system works. If you start at 10 and some students physically can’t get their for 10 and have absolutely no way to get to school, because their parents are already at work (and if public transport doesn’t line up with 10am or if it’s just not operating as not everywhere has good public transport), these kids physically cannot get in for 10am and are missing out on school.

That is discrimination against kids who don’t live with very convenient and quick access to school, which nationwide is an awful lot of people. I can see the Daily Mail headline now: ‘My kids will fail their exams because they miss out on at least an hour of school each day/can’t get into school at all’. Due to the kids not being able to make it in until after 10am or actually being able to get there at all and missing out on lessons, they’d have a point.