The alarm clock is ringing. The child can’t get out of bed, didn’t sleep well and didn’t want to go to bed in the evening. He complains of stomach pain or nausea and doesn’t want to go to school. If this happens often, the child – like many other children and young people – may suffer from fear of school.
Various fears in the school context
Katharina Bundscherer-Meierhofer, school psychologist at the Pindl private high school in Regensburg, explains that school anxiety is not an independent diagnosis. Instead, the term refers to various fears that can arise in the context of school – such as fear of exams, fear of a teacher, fear of classmates or fear of going to school.
The school psychologist emphasizes that fear is something natural and important – especially for children. Because fears warn of dangers. “But it becomes problematic if these fears last for a very long time and if the children are affected as a result,” says Bundscherer-Meierhofer.
Symptoms of school anxiety can vary because it manifests itself on different levels: “We differentiate between physical, emotional, behavioral and cognitive levels,” says Bundscherer-Meierhofer. Physical signs include headaches or stomach aches. The children would imagine the worst in their heads and have so-called “catastrophic thoughts”. At the behavioral level, fear of school manifests itself in a refusal to attend school, tantrums or protests.
Fear with consequences
School anxiety is a serious problem because, according to Katharina Bundscherer-Meierhofer, the anxiety disorder can have far-reaching consequences. Especially if it remains undetected and untreated for a long time. “Children and young people in particular who stay away from school for a long time and accumulate a lot of days of absence are of course not able to have many crucial school and social experiences and this ultimately hinders their personal development,” explains the school psychologist.
Fear of school also influences academic performance. Students are less able to prepare for exams, which often results in poor grades.
School transfer as a “trap”
According to Simone Fleischmann, President of the Bavarian Teachers’ Association, the Bavarian school system also promotes the emergence of fears. “We have formats in the school system, but also guidelines that cause so much fear for some children that the children can no longer produce,” says Fleischmann, who herself worked as a school psychologist for many years.
She criticizes the transition in the fourth grade, describing it as a “system-inherent trap.” In Bavaria, fourth graders are divided into three types of schools – high school, secondary school and middle school – based on their grades in math, German and HSU. The BLLV doesn’t think that makes sense. This creates pressure and fears.
Hot topic of unannounced tests
Fleischmann also criticizes the exam culture: “We are currently having the discussion about unannounced exes, where some people assume that a child only shows their true performance when we write school assignments or exes unannounced. My understanding is completely different.”
On-site help
Children and young people, as well as their parents, are not alone with their fears. According to Dr. Katharina Bundscherer-Meierhofer, there are various institutions that can provide help, such as school counseling and educational advice centers. School psychologists are good advisors at school. “We are here on site, which means that the offer is very open. The children can simply knock on the door if they want,” says Bundscherer-Meierhofer.
According to the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, school psychological care is covered. A total of 1,090 school psychologists provide advice to students.
Bundscherer-Meierhofer also advises parents to communicate openly. They could provide additional support for their children and prevent fears by offering conversations.
