Do Long Days Make High School Too Long?

“In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.” -Tom Bodett. On April 14th, 2014 there was an education article written about how long days make “ghosts” of children dropped at school gates. The children were literally draining from how long school is. Fifty percent of teachers say that schools should be no more than 5 hours. Ninety- three percent of the teachers even commented on how they could see “damaged pupils’ abilities to concentrate (Ratcliffe)”; therefore, the school day is too long.

Primarily, students put in more than just the hours they have to go to school. Students get up about 5:30 am get ready for school. That same student has to catch the bus by 6:30 am even though that school starts at 7:30 am. That child then gives 8 hours of his/her life in school. He/she leaves around 4 in the afternoon and does not get home until around 5; thus, making that school day average almost 12 hours towards school(Arnold). This shows that not only is a student attending the average 6.7 hours of school that child is also putting in extra hours as well, which make the school day seem awfully long.
Some schools require an individual to take elective classes for credits; furthermore, making the school day longer because an individual would need time to get the credit. In Indiana you are required to get 6 elective credits to graduate. If an individual were to divide the credits up that would be two extra classes a year, and if the school in question is anything like Corydon Central High School that is one period a year.(Zinth) That is an extra forty-five minutes a day taking a class that will never be used in life. This shows that by having a pointless elective classes it will be adding more time to a school day because you have to have it to