High school students today are more stressed than ever. Between long school days, hours of homework, and extracurricular activities. Many students run on exhaustion rather than motivation and rush towards the end of the school week. Students face several different stresses, juggling their school, sport, and home life. Due to these stresses students don’t perform to their best extent and rush on their assignments. Most of them are burnt out due to the current five day school week. If the education system chose four day school weeks, this could improve academic performance, address sleep deprivation, and help students with outside of school responsibilities. Four day school weeks could even give teachers benefits, giving them more time to prepare for the week and be with family. This is why high schools should consider switching to a four-day school week.
One of the biggest benefits of a shorter school week would be improved academic focus and productivity for students. Although some may argue, more time in school doesn’t automatically mean better learning. When students are exhausted, their ability to concentrate and perform decreases. If there were four focused school days, students may be more engaged in class discussions and assignments.
Another important reason to consider a four-day school week would be sleep. When students feel more rested and comfortable they perform better. Health experts have agreed that teenagers need eight to ten hours of sleep each night for healthy brain function and overall well-being. According to the CDC’s ‘Youth Risk Behavior Survey’, about seven out of ten students report to be getting less than the recommended amount of sleep on school nights. This widespread sleep deprivation matters because insufficient sleep can cause problems for students like paying attention, retaining information, and even physical health. While sleep issues are connected to late nights and technology use before bed, busy school days with early start times also are a major contributing factor. An extra day to rest could help students catch up on sleep and work. 
Although many worry that fewer school days could hurt the learning process for students, we must remember that education is not just about the number of days spent in a classroom, but how effectively the students learn. If students are more productive and are more successful in a four day week setting compared to a five day week setting, why would we have a five day school week? Well rested, less stressed students are more likely to participate more, perform better, and succeed academically.
A four-day week is not a short cut or excuse to do less work, but a new method of rethinking how education can be more effective for students. By supporting academic focus, addressing sleep deprivation, and recognizing students’ extracurricular responsibilities, schools and the education system can create an environment where students are set up to succeed.
