Maharashtra Govt Explores Post-9 AM School Timing for Pre-Primary Students to Prioritise Their Sleep

The Maharashtra government is looking into changing school hours for students up to Class 2, with plans to start sessions after 9 am. A committee of specialists have been appointed to put forward recommendations to help guide this decision. The state believes that focus should be made on ensuring that children get enough sleep and are not compelled to go to bed early.

According to the Hindustan Times, state school education minister Deepak Kesarkar claimed that a decision would be taken following the committee’s recommendations, which is expected to be put into effect during the next academic year. The planned shift, from the present 7 am start time to after 9 am, will allow children to get enough rest and will apply to schools across all boards in the state. Governor Ramesh Bais proposed the notion after urging the government to review school timings.

According to Kesarkar, there is a new pre-primary division in the education system that covers nursery, junior kindergarten, senior kindergarten, Class 1, and Class 2. “The goal is to alleviate the need for students to wake up excessively early and ensure they get adequate sleep. To achieve this, we have assembled a committee of expert pediatricians who will propose essential measures,” Kesarkar said as reported by Hindustan Times.

Governor Bais indicated during a gathering earlier this month, on December 5, that everyone’s sleeping routines have evolved recently. Children must get up early for school, yet they remain awake until beyond midnight. This is the cause of their insufficient sleep. In light of this, the state government should consider modifying school timings, Bais added. He also stated that studying should be enjoyable for the students, with less focus placed on schoolwork and more emphasis placed on sports and extracurricular activities.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Directorate of Education (DoE) has also changed school schedules throughout the state, with instructions going into effect on November 15. Haryana’s single-shift schools will now operate from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, according to the new schedule. In the meantime, there will be two sessions for the state’s double-shift schools. There will be two sessions: a first one from 7:55 am to 12:30 pm and a second one from 12:40 pm to 5:15 pm. The Haryana Education Department has addressed a letter to all district education officials and district fundamental officers in the state, urging them to implement the policy.