12th Grade Students No Longer Enjoy School Life, A Survey Reveals

New Delhi: While students enjoy school life in the pre-primary grades, by the time they reach 12th grade, they begin to dislike it. For example, by 12th grade, students' satisfaction with school decreases significantly, their self-confidence decreases, and they experience greater emotional stress, according to a nationwide survey.

Let's understand the entire matter in detail. We'll find out who conducted this survey, what the survey highlighted, and what concerns are being raised about the survey results.

Survey conducted by CISCE

This nationwide survey was conducted jointly by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) and the IC3 Institute. The report, jointly released as the "Student Well-Being Pulse Report 2025-26," was conducted among 8,515 students across the country.

59% of 12th graders are dissatisfied with their school life

A joint survey conducted by (CISCE) and IC3 Institute has revealed that 59 percent of Class 12 students are not satisfied with their school life, while 19 percent of the students surveyed admitted to high satisfaction with their school life.

57% students in class 8th are satisfied

While the CISCE and IC3 Institute's "Student Well-Being Pulse Report 2025-26" highlights dissatisfaction with school life among 12th-grade students, the survey reveals a contrasting perception of 8th-grade students' satisfaction with school life. According to the report, 57% of 8th-grade students reported satisfaction with school life, while only 23% reported low satisfaction.

Happiness and self-confidence decline with age

According to the report, while 62 percent of students in Class 8 expressed satisfaction with their mental health, only 43 percent of students in Class 12 expressed satisfaction with their mental health. According to the report, as students progress to higher grades, their positive emotions also begin to decline. The percentage of students who are often or always happy in school dropped from 65 percent in Class 8 to 48 percent in Class 12. Self-confidence also declined from 64 percent to 47 percent.

12th class students worry more

According to the report, negative emotions were more prevalent among students. The proportion of students who often or always felt anxious increased from 22 percent in Class 8th to 37 percent in Class 12th. The number of students who often felt low on energy was recorded at 27 percent and 44 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, 63 percent of the students surveyed said they were very satisfied with their personal lives (including their relationships with friends and family).

Important to understand the emotional health of students

The report highlights that exam scores, mock tests, and board results can make it difficult to understand students' emotional well-being. Therefore, it is crucial that schools have better and easily accessible systems for students' mental and emotional well-being.