Longer school days cut crime, researchers find

Extending school days can cut crime by more than 10%, according to a study in Mexico.

Researchers analysed the impact of a decision to extend hours from 4.5 to 8 per day in high schools under the Full-Time Schools Programme introduced in 2007.

They found that robberies dropped 11% following the change, but that there was little impact on more serious crimes or minor offences.

The biggest effects were found in children aged between 12 and 14 and in lower-income areas.

With less spare time on their hands, the students simply had less opportunity to break the law, the researchers surmised.

Crime is a significant problem across Latin America, imposing direct costs on the region's economies of almost 3.5% of GDP - that would cover three-quarters of all the education budgets.

In Mexico in particular, young people aged between 12 and 17 account for 39% of total convictions.

Increasing the school day likely has other significant benefits to society as well, the study's authors Francisco Cabrera-Hernández and Bárbara A. Zárate-Tenorio. Their research was published in the World Development journal. 

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