I haven't used a clock in years that I need to manually reset. Older people don't seem to realize clocks on phones and other devices reset automatically.
What the hell does that have to do with parents not wanting their children waiting for the morning bus in the dark? Edit: Not that I'm necessarily disagreeing with you, just saying that's not the point I'm making.
Shortening the school day would kill two birds with one stone, they'd start later so they aren't going to school in the dark, and also improving a child's learning efficiency by not burning them out.