We’ve all been there before. It’s past five in the morning. The sun hasn’t risen yet. Your alarm is on blast, but your consciousness is still in deep slumber. But what can you do? Even if our circadian rhythm is not designed for early rising, we have to wake up against our will just to avoid traffic and make it to school on time. Uh, maybe we could just doze off while the professor is teaching.
Read more: Here’s why we should stop condemning late risers
If that’s your daily struggle, this might be good news for you: Bacolod Representative Greg Gasataya is pushing for a law that will ban classes earlier than 8:30 a.m. With House Bill No. 569, Rep. Gasataya aims to address the issues of transportation, accessibility of schools, and the mental health of students.
“It is the policy of the State to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development in schools. We must give priority to the physical, mental, and social well-being of students, among others, through a system of education which gives primordial interest and concern to the health and safety of students,” Rep. Gasataya said in a statement.
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The Bacolod Representative also cites the performance of students in schools abroad with classes that start late.
While this might be good news for many students, we also have to acknowledge why classes in some schools need to start early. Some public schools, for example, need to start classes at 6 a.m. just to accommodate the volume of students they have for the school year. The intention of Rep. Gasataya’s bill is commendable, but maybe we should also seek solutions for related issues first.
Art by Renz Mart Reyes