Is all this educational stress really working?
I think it can be agreed that there is a blatant difference between a healthy amount of challenge in order to do better and being so stressed about school that you break down and cry.
The problem is that while this may sound childish or laughable to other people considering school is on the lower half of the ‘stress’ scale, it’s the honest truth about teenagers and the struggles they go through.
Approximately 25% of teenagers between thirteen and eighteen years of age have an anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and a study led by Jean Twenge has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as adolescents in the Great Depression were.
Due to the adolescent brain being more sensitive to stress, these educational struggles may trigger mental illnesses in vulnerable teenagers, which may affect them in adulthood and have long-lasting effects.
So why does the school put all this stress on its students?
The truth of the matter is, despite being in education for over a decade, many GCSE and A-level students in the UK are still unsure as of how to revise, and it is scientifically proven that exams are not the best way of analysing knowledge. With many factors, such as location changes, temperature and varying skill, examinations at the end of the year are very difficult for some. With these anxiety issues, too, this puts them under greater pressure!
Does this mean our educational system is right for our modern age? Or is it in dire need of an update?
