Maretha Uli, Jakarta – West Java's recent decision to enforce earlier school start times across all education levels has aroused concern among educators and experts, who warn that the policy could impair students' brain development due to disrupted sleep patterns and inadequate rest.
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi issued on May 28 a circular mandating that students from kindergarten to senior high school begin school at 6.30 a.m., starting from the upcoming academic year in mid-July.
The policy is part of his bigger initiatives to instill discipline and curb youth delinquency, such as street brawls, gang activity and online gaming addiction, through measures like night curfews and sending "misbehaving students" to military-style boot camps.
The latter initiative has sparked criticism from child development experts, who warn it may cause lasting psychological impacts on those admitted.
"To follow the Education and Culture Ministry Regulation No. 23/2017 on school days, and in support of fostering a Pancawulya generation in West Java [...] it is necessary to regulate effective learning hours that optimize students' ability to absorb lessons in the morning, adjusted to their developmental stage and age potential," the circular states.
Pancawulya refers to a character-building concept promoted in the province, which consists of five core values derived from Sundanese cultural wisdom, namely bageur (kind), cageur (healthy), bener (righteous), pinter (smart) and singer (skillful).
Meanwhile, Governor Dedi explained last week that the earlier start time compensates for an additional weekly day off on Saturdays, to follow government regulations.
While the governor initially ordered schools to start at 6 a.m., the time was later pushed back by 30 minutes. The school duration will differ from each level of education, with pre-schools having a minimum duration of 195 minutes per day and high schools a minimum of 10 hours each day.
What's the urgency?
Teachers and experts have questioned both the urgency and scientific basis of the early start policy, citing its potential negative effects on children's cognitive and emotional development.
Satriwan Salim, national coordinator of the Association for Education and Teachers (P2G), argued that instead of changing school hours, the government should focus on improving the quality of the learning environment.
A 6:30 a.m. start might be feasible in the capital, Jakarta, where infrastructure and accessibility are better, but that is not the case in West Java, especially since many students live more than 10 kilometers from their schools, he said.
Satriwan also pointed out that the early start contradicts the night curfew policy, which is meant to encourage healthier nighttime routines. Early school hours could instead lead to "sleep deprivation, [resulting in] poor concentration, reduced memory retention, metabolic issues, fatigue, anxiety and even a decline in academic performance."
Neuroscience communicator Trisa Triandesa echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the policy poses a significant risk to children's brain health, particularly among adolescents. While younger children aged 6 to 12 might benefit from earlier learning, teenagers aged 13 to 18 experience a natural shift in circadian rhythms during puberty.
"This biological change makes it difficult for teens to fall asleep before 11 p.m.," Trisa explained via Instagram last week, highlighting that forcing them to wake up early to go to school will only result in chronic sleep deprivation.
"If the goal is to build children's character and discipline, it should not be done at the expense of their brains," he further said, adding that many studies have shown that starting school later improves students' academic performance, mood and mental health.
Furthermore, education observer and consultant Ina Liem also questioned the effectiveness and necessity of the early start, calling it a "populist" move that lacked urgency and a data-driven foundation.
"The more pressing issues in education today are about budget efficiency, school governance and teaching quality, not start times," she said.
Ina supported the night curfew policy for encouraging greater parental involvement, but opposed the early school start, which she believed does not foster genuine discipline.
"[Education policy] should not be merely a populist response or image-building project, but part of a broader, data-driven strategy," Ina told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
A 2015 study in Singapore published by the Sleep Research Society found that delaying school start times by just 45 minutes significantly improved elementary students' alertness and overall well-being, even in a highly competitive academic setting.
Similarly, a 2017 study in England, published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, showed that shifting high school start times to 10 a.m. reduced absences by 50 percent and boosted academic performance by 12 percent.
Countries with top-performing education systems have already embraced later start times.
In Finland, where schools enjoy a high degree of autonomy, classes typically begin around 9 a.m., contributing to lower stress levels and better student focus, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.
Meanwhile, in South Korea, a country known for its high academic pressure, authorities pushed back school start times from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. in 2015 to encourage family interaction in the morning and combat sleep deprivation, as reported by The Korea Times.