State Student Council: Many pupils "extremely stressed"
The Lower Saxony State Pupils' Council has lamented the extremely high level of stress among pupils. The current situation is "so precarious", the state student council warned on Friday, mainly due to the severely shortened school year. The content of lessons is not being reduced at the same time, and more and more lessons are being canceled due to the shortage of teachers. "Many are extremely stressed and sleep little due to the many tasks," said Louisa Basner, acting chairwoman of the Lower Saxony State Pupils' Council. The pupils are "not doing well mentally".
The State Pupils' Council announced that it saw a need for action and called for a focus on the essentials in view of the high number of missed lessons. In addition, the exam period should be extended by only allowing a maximum of two exams per week. There is also a need for a larger and more present range of school psychologists, and homework should be abolished in all-day schools.
Basner's deputy, Matteo Feind, emphasized that school policy should focus on the question of how pupils can best be taught the content of lessons: "The current school system is no longer up to date. We need to finally agree that the aim of school is to impart knowledge and not to sporadically test rote learning."
The council suggested introducing more school psychologists to help alleviate the mental strain of pupils, recognizing that their education and overall health are at stake. With schools struggling to provide sufficient teachers, too many lessons are being canceled, leading to an increased workload and stress for students.
Source: www.dpa.com
