The Grow Well SG initiative correctly identifies sleep as a fundamental pillar of the SEED habit framework—referring to Sleep, Eat, Exercise, and Device usage [1]. I am calling for MOE to set a national standard to synchronize school start times to 8:30 am for primary, secondary schools and junior colleges, alongside an Integrated School Day specifically for primary school levels.
This builds on calls by my honourable friend, Sengkang GRC MP Assoc Prof Jamus Lim, regarding the benefits of later starts for adolescent health [2]. Current data is sobering: the 2024 Singapore Youth Epidemiology and Resilience Study shows nearly 85% of secondary school students feel unrested, while
Duke-NUS research indicates they average only 6.5 hours of sleep—well below the recommended 8 to 10 hours [3] [4].
The Foundation for the Developing Child
The stakes are equally high for our primary school students. Between ages seven and twelve, a child’s brain and body are in a state of rapid, fundamental construction. Science tells us that the deep-sleep stage—Non-REM sleep—is when the pituitary gland releases the vast majority of growth hormones necessary for physical development. For these younger children, getting the recommended 10 hours of sleep is not a luxury; it is a biological requirement for physical health and cognitive "wiring."
When a primary school student is chronically underslept, the first thing to suffer is executive function: the ability to manage emotions, follow instructions, and focus [5]. We see this manifesting in classrooms as increased irritability and a lack of resilience. By failing to protect their sleep, we are effectively handicapping their formative years, trading long-term neurological health for short-term academic "grind."
The Biological Mandate
For adolescents, this is a matter of biology. During puberty, the brain undergoes a "phase delay." Their bodies do not release melatonin until much later. It has been said that waking a teen at 6:00 am is physiologically equivalent to waking an adult at 3:00 am [6]. We cannot legislate against the circadian rhythm.
While MOE has brought forward Personal Learning Device (PLD) default sleep modes to 10:30 pm [7], we must also address wake times. Currently, many primary school students on early bus routes are picked up from 6:00 am or even earlier. Shifting to 8:30 am ensures students do not start their day exhausted.
I propose an Integrated School Day for primary schools starting at 8:30 am and ending at 3:30 pm. By incorporating CCAs, structured work instead of homework, and remedials into these hours, we ensure that when a child reaches home, school responsibilities are largely complete, making the "lights out" boundary more achievable.
Rather than relying on school-level autonomy, we need a clear national standard. Let us set the bell for 8:30 am and give our children the rest they need to reach their full potential.
Endnotes:
[1] Opening Remarks by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health, at the Press Conference on Grow Well SG (21 January 2025).
[2] Hansard, COS Debate (March 2022); Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.
[3] Singapore Youth Epidemiology and Resilience (SYER) Study (2024).
[4] Duke-NUS Medical School research on adolescent sleep duration.
[5] Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine; impact on pediatric executive function.
[6] Dr. Wendy Troxel; adolescent circadian rhythm and melatonin phase delay.
[7] MOE Press Release (Nov 2025); PLD 10:30 pm sleep mode implementation.
