Lin Jie'er, a nine-year-old pupil in Guangzhou's Dadaonan Primary School, may find it easier to get up in the morning from September 1 when she goes to school half an hour later than usual thanks to a new school schedule.

According to the new timetable, formulated by the Guangzhou Education Bureau, from September 1 primary and kindergarten children in the city can begin their classes at 8:30 AM when the new school term begins.

Sources with the bureau said schools and kindergartens can decide when the school day finishes under the new scheme.

"I used to get up before 7 AM, and rush to school after a short breakfast because the class began at 8 AM, a little bit early for me," said Lin.

"But following the schedule, I will have more time to enjoy breakfast because the class begins half an hour later," Lin told China Daily yesterday.

Under the old scheme, pupils often did not have enough time for sleep.

Many students also had to arrive at the school around 7:30 AM to prepare for class.

"Sometimes I felt very sleepy in the morning and could not concentrate in class," Lin said.

Lin's father, Lin Hezao, said, "The new school schedule keeps abreast with the working time of civil servants. So I can get up with my daughter at the same time and help her get ready," said Lin, a civil servant in the city.

However, Liang Yu, a 41-year-old ceramics factory worker who clocks on at 8 AM, is not so pleased.

"Under the new scheme, I still need to get up early to prepare breakfast for my son and send him to school before 8 AM. But what can he do in the half hour before class?" said Liang.

Liang suggests schools should assign some teachers to look after students who arrive before 8 AM.

Meng Yuanbei, deputy director of the Guangzhou Education Bureau, said the new school schedule is expected to relieve students' burden by giving them more time to rest.

National education regulations state that primary school students should get nine hours of sleep everyday.

"We have received information from parents and schools asking us to adjust the existing scheme because a great number of students could not get nine hours of sleep a day," said Meng.

The change was debated after a deputy to the city's people's congress proposed early this year that a later school starting time be adopted in the city.

(China Daily August 29, 2005)