China to include pupils’ sleep hours in schools’ evaluations to counter widespread sleep deprivation among children
- The Ministry of Education has called on schools to find ways to ensure students get enough sleep, and will make it part of schools’ appraisals
- Sleep deprivation remains a common issue among children across China as they face academic pressures and other activities, a sleep specialist says
Widespread sleep deprivation among Chinese children has prompted the government to include students’ sleep hours in its appraisal of schools.
The Ministry of Education has called on schools to find ways to ensure students get enough sleep, and will make it part of the school’s evaluation, according to a recent speech by Education Minister Chen Baosheng.
About 63 per cent of Chinese children aged between six and 17 slept less than eight hours a day, a 2019 report by the Chinese Sleep Research Society showed.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, primary school students aged six to 12 are advised to get nine to 12 hours sleep, while secondary school students, aged from 13 to 18, are suggested to get between eight to 10 hours.
