Students Taught Healthy Bedtime Habits and Time Management

We share Youth Forum writer Phoebe Sing's concerns over the lack of sleep among her peers and misconceptions they have about the issue ("Many students do not realise how important sleep is, Jul 11").

The Ministry of Education (MOE) adopts a holistic approach to developing good sleep hygiene and inculcating healthy habits in our students.

At age-appropriate junctures, students are taught healthy sleeping habits, self-management and time management skills through Physical Education and Character and Citizenship Education lessons. For example, students learn to set regular sleep-hours for themselves, the recommended sleep duration, and to avoid caffeine and digital devices before bedtime. These lessons are set in the context of a balanced digital lifestyle.

Schools also monitor and calibrate the academic and co-curricular load of students to ensure it remains manageable. If students struggle with attendance or learning due to a lack of sleep, their teachers and counsellors will work closely with their parents to support them.

MOE will continue to partner parents to inculcate good sleeping habits in our young, and teach them how to balance the demands of schoolwork and a digital lifestyle against the value of sufficient rest.

Ms Loh Wee Cheng
Divisional Director, Student Development Curriculum Division 1
Ministry of Education