|
Students dozing off in class ask
Why Shouldn't we have eight hours' sleep?
In today's fast paced-society it is easy for us to prioritize work over rest. The lack of sleep is clearly seen, even in the classrooms of schools, where students hard-pressed for time at home have no option but to get their rest in class.
This gives rise to a vicious cycle of lagging behind in terms of homework. It starts with students not getting enough rest. They then sleep/are unable to concentrate in class and as a result lag behind even more. They stay up late working and are even more behind. The cycle continues.
School is highly demanding on a teenager, particularly because adolescents are at the peak of physical, mental, and emotional development, and they require the most rest. Not just the typical schoolwork or homework assignments, but also Co-Curricular Activities(CCAs) that consume not just valuable time but also energy reserves which can only be replenished with the sleep.
As a student of what is considered to be the best school in the country, I am already stretched thin, having to juggle CCA, homework, schoolwork, social life as well as family commitments.
The much talked-about fifth freedom also comes into question. An essay entitled The Fifth Freedom by Seymour St John was discussed in class. The fifth freedom is basically the freedom to be your best. One of the points raised by the essay is that 'we', referring to society at large, should give students a challenging, demanding curriculum that is within the students' capabilities.
Judging from the load of assignments we have to deal with, our teachers are clearly ascribing to this exhortation. The work we get is almost unbearable. We stay up late every day doing work and when we finally get to rest it isn't enough. We go to school in the morning, sleepy and groggy. After school we return home with more work to do. Is it possible that we are getting too much of the fifth freedom?
Another point raised in Seymour St John's essay was that children should be given the right to failure.
What will failure do to the over-burdened student who has difficulty coping with ordinary schoolwork? Failure not only destroys a person, it also leaves him unwilling to take another shot, to try again. The right to failure-is it a right or a burden?
The cruel, harsh reality is this- despite the flaws pointed out in the system, the only way to 'make it in life' is to continue studying, like it or not. Students will just have to learn to deal with lack of sleep, not enough time, too much work, too much 'fifth freedom'- all on their own.
(Author's note: All pictures have been used without the permission or awareness of the subjects.)
8:54 PM | link
|
