25% of Children in Germany Show Signs of Mental Distress, While 3.9% of Japanese Elementary and Junior High School Students are Not Attending School — Different Figures Reflect School Challenges

Sitting in the classroom, attending lessons, submitting homework, and talking with friends during breaks.

From the outside, a child who seems to be leading a school life without any issues may actually be harboring strong anxiety or fatigue inside.

According to the "German School Barometer" 2025/26 edition published in Germany, signs indicating increased psychological burden were confirmed in 25% of children and young people aged 8 to 17. This equates to one in four.

The breakdown shows that 15% of children are in the range of noticeable psychological issues, and 10% are in the borderline range. This is a 4-point increase from the previous survey's 21%.

However, this 25% does not represent the rate of diagnosed mental disorders. It is the result of a screening using questionnaires to check the state of emotions, behavior, attention, and relationships. It is not the percentage of children diagnosed by doctors but a number indicating the potential need for careful monitoring and support.

Without understanding this difference, expressing it as "one in four children in Germany has a mental disorder" is inaccurate.

Even so, the result that one in four children, including those continuing to attend school, shows some psychological warning signs is significant.

In Japan, about 3.9% of elementary and junior high school students are not attending school

In Japan, in the 2024 academic year, the number of elementary and junior high school students not attending school reached 353,970. This accounts for about 3.9% of all elementary and junior high school students, roughly one in 26.

About 2.3% of elementary school students, roughly one in 43, and about 6.8% of junior high school students, roughly one in 15, are not attending school.

This article presents the percentage first, not just the total number, which can vary greatly depending on the country's population and the number of students.

Therefore, instead of stating "one in four in Germany, 350,000 in Japan," it should be expressed as "25% show signs of psychological burden in Germany, about 3.9% of elementary and junior high school students are not attending school in Japan."

However, these two percentages cannot be directly compared.

Germany's 25% is the result of a psychological state survey using questionnaires, regardless of school attendance.

On the other hand, Japan's approximately 3.9% represents the percentage of students who did not attend school for 30 days or more in a year due to some psychological, emotional, physical, or social factors, excluding reasons like illness or economic issues.

Japanese children who continue to attend school every day despite carrying a heavy mental burden are not included in the truancy numbers.

Thus, the difference between Germany's 25% and Japan's 3.9% does not reflect the difference in the psychological state of children in both countries. The subjects and definitions being measured are different.

Rather, what should be noted is that in Japan, children's distress becomes visible as national statistics only when it manifests as long-term absenteeism.

The struggles of "children who can attend school" are hard to see

Being able to go to school and being mentally healthy are not the same.

No tardiness or absences, and grades are not significantly dropping. However, they are too exhausted to do anything after returning home. They experience stomachaches on Sunday nights. They can't sleep before tests. They smile in the classroom but suddenly burst into tears at home.

Such states cannot be grasped by just looking at the number of absences.

In the German survey, 26% of responding children rated their quality of life as low, and 16% felt uncomfortable at school. About half felt strong pressure to perform academically, and many children reported having to study for school even on weekends.

In Japan as well, there is a need for a system to continuously grasp the psychological burden of children attending school.

Only responding after visible changes such as long-term absenteeism, declining grades, or problematic behavior occur may delay support.

There is a need for a system where children can regularly reflect on their anxieties, sleep, comfort at school, relationships, etc., and connect with specialists as needed.

Bullying extends beyond the classroom

In the German survey, about 30% of 11 to 17-year-olds reported experiencing insults, threats, exclusion, etc., from classmates at least once a month.

In Japan, in the 2024 academic year, recognized cases of bullying in elementary, junior high, high schools, and special support schools reached 769,022.

The increase in recognized cases of bullying does not necessarily mean a deterioration. It also includes the result of schools recognizing small acts that would have been overlooked before as bullying.

However, there were also 1,405 "serious incidents" where there was suspicion of significant harm to life, body, mind, or property, indicating an increase in serious cases that cannot be ignored.

Currently, bullying does not necessarily end when children return home from school.

Through SNS and messaging apps, insults, exclusion, image spreading, and group exclusion continue. Since online and classroom relationships are connected, children may find themselves without a refuge all day.

In such situations, simply taking away the smartphone from the victimized child does not solve the problem.

If, as a result of consulting, only they are unable to use SNS, children may feel that "consulting leads to further isolation."

What is needed is not just looking at the time spent on devices but also checking who they are interacting with, how they feel after using them, and more.

Japanese children are physically healthy but have low mental satisfaction

In a UNICEF survey on the well-being of children in developed countries published in 2025, Japan ranked first out of 36 countries in the area of physical health.

Judging by indicators such as child mortality rates and overweight, Japan is a country where children can live physically safe lives.

On the other hand, mental well-being based on life satisfaction and suicide rates ranked 32nd out of 37 countries.

Even if their bodies are protected, they are not necessarily able to live with peace of mind mentally. This gap is important when considering the environment surrounding Japanese children.

In Japanese schools, it is basic for children of the same age to gather in the same classroom, learn on the same timetable, and take exams at the same time.

While this system fosters the ability to learn in groups and cooperation, it leaves little room for children who find it difficult to adapt to group environments.

Leaving the classroom makes them stand out. Going to the nurse's office might make them seem like they are slacking off. If they are absent, they fall behind in lessons. Even if relationships within the class deteriorate, they cannot easily change their group affiliation.

Words like "You should go to school every day," "Everyone is enduring it," and "You'll have trouble in the future if you take a break" can feel like a denial of their suffering to children nearing their limits.

Do not explain truancy solely as "personal weakness"

Regarding truancy in Japan, differing opinions often clash.

On one hand, there are voices that focus on issues like disrupted daily routines, prolonged smartphone use, and lack of discipline at home.

On the other hand, there is a perspective that sees not attending school as an action to protect oneself from bullying, excessive competition, sensory sensitivity, developmental characteristics, and human relationships.

No single perspective can explain all children.

There are cases where reversed day-night cycles prolong truancy. However, it is also possible that anxiety about school prevents sleep, leading to prolonged smartphone use late at night.

We must not confuse the behavior that appears on the surface with its cause.

What truant children need is not uniform attendance guidance. It is to confirm what is burdensome and prepare options that suit the child's condition.

There can be multiple forms of learning, such as attending only in the morning, studying in a separate room, partially online, or using educational support centers and free schools.

If returning to school is made the only goal, children may feel that "I haven't recovered because I can't return to the original classroom."

What is important is not where they are learning, but whether safety, learning, and connections with others are ensured.

On SNS, the message "Don't make returning to school the only goal" spreads

In Japan's SNS, whenever news about truancy or child suicides is reported, many opinions are posted by parents, former truancy experiencers, teachers, psychologists, support groups, and others.

What stands out in public posts is the voice saying, "Please don't make returning to school the only goal."

Former truancy experiencers and parents share experiences of using free schools or online learning, which later led to further education or employment.

There are also posts suggesting that by stopping the strong demand for attendance, children have gradually become able to talk.

Additionally, there are opinions like "Don't blame truancy solely on parents" and "Blaming the family makes it harder for parents to consult with the school."

On the other hand, there are reactions such as "Daily routines should be maintained," "Families need to manage smartphone use," and "We shouldn't easily approve of running away from unpleasant things."

Given that the burden on schools is nearing its limit, there are not a few teachers who feel they want to ask families to play a role as well.

However, the problem cannot be solved by just opposing whether the responsibility lies with parents or teachers.

Both parents and teachers may not have enough time or expertise to carefully monitor the child's psychological state. Rather than disputing individual responsibility, there is a need to create a system where psychologists, welfare workers, medical institutions, and local support groups can be involved.

It should be noted that people who post on SNS tend to be biased towards those with strong awareness of the issue, such as those directly involved or supporters. Public posts do not statistically represent the opinions of society as a whole, but they can provide clues to understanding what those involved are suffering from and what kind of support they are seeking.

In Germany, voices call for the expansion of professionals on SNS

On German-speaking LinkedIn and other platforms, following the survey results, there are opinions calling for the expansion of school psychologists, school social workers, counselors, and more.

The argument is that the number "one in four" should not just end as temporary news, and a system should be established to allow consultation before the problem worsens.

There is also a point that teaching children how to cope with stress alone is insufficient.

If we do not change the overcrowded schedules, large class sizes, academic competition, bullying, and lack of professionals, but only demand emotional management and resilience from children, it will shift systemic problems to individual responsibility.

Teaching only "If you become stronger, you can endure it" is not mental support.

Efforts to strengthen children and reduce environments that distress them need to be carried out simultaneously.

It is not enough for counselors to just "be there"

In Japan, the placement of school counselors and school social workers is progressing.

However, even if the placement rate is high, it does not mean that specialists are at the school every day. In many cases, they are responsible for multiple schools and only visit for a few hours a week.

If they are absent on the day a child wants to consult or if appointments are fully booked, the moment a child decides to seek help may be missed.

For children, explaining their troubles to an unknown adult is not easy.

Without a relationship where they regularly see each other in the hallway or classroom and feel "I can talk to this person," entering the counseling room itself becomes a high barrier.

A study investigating the effect of full-time school counselors at a municipal junior high school in Nagoya City showed that the rate of students with consultation experience with counselors increased from 2.6% to 10.3%.

The number of students who answered that they did not know the counselor at all also decreased.

Although this study alone cannot say that truancy or suicides have decreased, it indicates the potential to shorten the psychological distance with children by having specialists continuously present at schools.

What is needed is not just the number of consultation windows.

Consideration must include the days and times consultations are available, the continuity of the person in charge, places where privacy is protected, and methods of cooperation with parents and teachers.

Listening to children's opinions also becomes mental support

In the German survey, about three-quarters of children said they wanted to have more say about lesson content and exam methods.

On the other hand, about four-fifths felt that they could hardly reflect their opinions in reality.

Respecting opinions does not mean adopting all of the children's wishes.

Explain why certain rules are necessary, which opinions were adopted, and which could not be. After gathering opinions, the school should communicate back to the children how it considered them.

Without this process, even if there are student councils or surveys, children will feel that "nothing changes no matter what they say."

In Japan, it is necessary to reflect children's opinions on issues that affect them, such as school rules, homework, events, consultation methods, bullying prevention measures, and how to spend break time.

Feeling that their environment has changed even slightly due to their voice leads to a sense of