Mental welfare of teenagers in Poland is deteriorating

Issues concerning the sense of belonging to school, affluence, religion in their own strengths and relations between their peers and between students and teachers can affect the overall level of well-being and satisfaction of young people.

Meanwhile, the Polish school falls very poorly in this respect. This is reflected, among others, in the results of fresh PISA studies. Polish students are distanced from the school and are critical of it, which, as experts emphasize, indicates the request for systemic changes.

– Polish school is good – or very good – at learning basic and subjects skills: reading with understanding, mathematical thinking, reasoning in science. However, it is much worse to make social and emotional skills in students – in this respect, the Polish school, against the background of another countries with akin levels of economical development, is worse. And in this respect, it is essential to intervene in the system: for the school to better teach cooperation, emotional regulation and stress management, to build assertiveness and make curiosity among young people. This is where we have more to do than in the substance of teaching mathematics or Polish language – says Newseria Business agency Dr. Jędrzej Witkowski, president of the Centre for Civic Education.

In the last PISA 2022 study, Polish fifteen-year-olds maintained a reasonably advanced position in terms of mathematical skills, knowing of the text read and reasoning in natural sciences.

In these 3 areas, the results of Polish students were above the OECD average and at the top of EU countries. PISA investigation besides covers issues concerning the well-being of students: their well-being, satisfaction with life, moving in school and school relationships, which besides translate into academic outcomes. And in these areas Poland fell very poorly against another countries surveyed. In terms of the general satisfaction of life, felt by Polish teenagers, she placed in 67th place, in terms of the sense of causality in independent learning – in 69th place, and in the sense of belonging to school – in 73rd of the average 80 countries surveyed.

Polish students are distanced from school and critically measure school relations, both between peers and between students and teachers. As experts point out, these results point to a low sense of well-being of young people in the school environment and the request to pay more attention to this area.

– The welfare of young people at school depends primarily on their relationship. We know that these relations – both at student-tudent level and student-teacher level – are rather critical of young people. So if there is 1 lever that would aid us change the well-being of young people, it is to deal with what we call school relationships – that is, how young people interact with each other, whether they respect each another or are kind. This is simply a subject of large importance for the well-being of young people at school. However, it is besides crucial how they feel in their relation with teachers, whether they see among teachers people who will aid them in any situation that cares about their success, including their education. These are aspects in which I believe we should take action first – Judges Dr. Jędrzej Witkowski.

The school, which, together with its family, is simply a basic educational environment, has a immense impact on the welfare of the students, affecting, among others, the level of fear and sadness, self-esteem, belief in its own strength or the feeling of exclusion felt by the child. However, the president of the Centre for Civic Education notes that at the minute students are rather critical of the Polish school. This is confirmed by, among others, the results of the latest TIMSS survey (Trends in global Mathematics and discipline Study) published in 2020, in which Polish students (4th grade of primary school) rated the school worst against the background of European peers from 34 countries.

– For apparent reasons, what young people are most curious in is the education system, what happens to them at school, due to the fact that we have a school work for 12 years. Young people must, not only want, be in schools, so they should be close to their needs and expectations, but besides teach them the things they consider essential and important. Here we gotta admit that they justice this school very critically, so we have a lot to do – Says the expert.

The intellectual wellness crisis among students has long been evident in the full school environment. It is confirmed by further fresh reports as well as police statistic on suicides among teenagers. Therefore, major changes in the Polish school became 1 of the first points on the agenda of the fresh Ministry of Education under Barbara Nowacka. MEN has plans for improvement to make it more supportive and student-friendly, including providing psychologists in each school, training and intellectual support for students, parents and teachers.