German School Barometer 2025/26
Psychological stress among students is on the rise again
Stress, bullying, and a lack of opportunities to participate — according to the latest German School Barometer, schools contribute to the fact that some students are not doing well. Our education expert Anna Gronostaj explains the findings and outlines what schools need to look like for children and adolescents to feel supported and safe there.
1.507 children and adolescents aged 8 to 17, as well as one parent each, were surveyed for the latest German School Barometer.
More children and adolescents are once again struggling with their mental health: In the latest German School Barometer surveying students, the share of young people showing psychological difficulties has increased for the first time since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, now reaching 25 percent. A similarly large proportion report a low quality of life (26 percent), and 16 percent say they feel only slightly comfortable at school. The situation is even worse for children and adolescents from financially disadvantaged families; an even higher share in this group reports psychological difficulties, low quality of life, and low well-being at school.
In the 2024 German School Barometer Students, we asked children and adolescents what they worry about. The most frequently mentioned concerns were wars, followed by worries about school and environmental destruction. In the latest survey, nearly half of the respondents report high performance pressure and say they have to study even on weekends. In addition, 30 percent of students experience bullying at least once a month. They are insulted, threatened, or intentionally excluded by peers — both online and offline. The picture that emerges suggests that school itself contributes to the distress experienced by some children and adolescents. But what do schools look like in which young people actually feel well? The School Barometer also offers important insights on this.
Teaching Quality and Student Well-Being
We asked children and adolescents how they perceive their lessons. The results show that several aspects considered hallmarks of good teaching are closely linked to student well-being. The most significant factor is the support students feel they receive from their teachers. The more supportive and appreciative teachers are perceived to be, the more comfortable students feel at school. Boredom and overchallenge also play a role. Both insufficient and excessive demands are associated with lower well-being. This underscores how important an appropriate level of challenge is for positive school experiences. Another key factor for student well-being is the classroom climate.
For teachers, these findings offer encouraging news: supporting learning outcomes and supporting student well-being are not in competition with each other. On the contrary, the core elements of high-quality teaching — known for decades — not only improve learning outcomes but are also positively linked to students’ emotional well-being. Deep features of teaching quality, such as constructive support and appropriate levels of challenge, foster both learning and well-being.
Participation and Influence
Beyond teaching quality, opportunities for participation and co-determination also correlate with student well-being. Students who report having more influence in school and classroom matters show not only higher school-related well-being but also higher overall life satisfaction. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, schools are obligated to recognize students as experts in their own affairs and to actively involve them so they can help shape lessons and daily school life.
However, our results show that students perceive participation opportunities at school as generally low. The 2025 German School Barometer Teachers likewise indicates that most teachers see students’ opportunities to shape school and instruction as rather limited. From teachers’ perspectives, participation often focuses on setting class rules or formal structures such as councils or committees where student involvement is legally mandated. Still, the majority of teachers believe existing participation opportunities are sufficient. While teachers and students agree that opportunities for co-determination are limited, students wish for significantly more participation — whereas many teachers consider the current level adequate.
This points to another clear call to action: schools must further develop their understanding of themselves as democratic spaces. Children, adolescents, and teachers spend a large part of their lives at school. They should be able to shape this environment — and their interactions within it — together, making it a positive place for everyone. I envision schools where students and teachers feel comfortable and become psychologically strengthened through positive relationships and a healthy school culture. This requires not only high-quality teaching but also a democratic school culture in which participation and co-determination are a natural part of everyday life. The award-winning schools of the German School Award show that this is possible — even without additional resources.
German School Barometer Students 25/26
Download the report (in German language)For the 2025/26 edition of the German School Barometer Students, the Robert Bosch Stiftung surveyed children, adolescents, and one parent each about their quality of life, their well-being at school, the quality of instruction, and their opportunities for participation in school and classroom decision‑making. The study was developed in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Julian Schmitz of the University of Leipzig and in close collaboration with an interdisciplinary research team.
The German School Barometer is a representative survey of general and vocational schools in Germany. The German School Barometer makes it possible to describe developments at an early stage by recording and examining the observations and assessments of people who help to shape and experience schools on a daily basis.