For many students, Class 12 is supposed to be the final push before college, a year of board exam preparation, career decisions and plans for the future. But a nationwide student survey suggests that this stage of school may also be taking a toll on their well-being.
The 2025-26 Student Well-being Pulse Report, published by the IC3 Institute in collaboration with the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), surveyed 8,515 students and found that 59% of Grade 12 students reported low satisfaction with school life. Only 19% reported high satisfaction.
The contrast with younger students is striking. In Grade 8, 57% reported high satisfaction with school life, while 23% reported low satisfaction.
HAPPINESS AND CONFIDENCE DECLINE WITH AGE
The findings extend beyond how students feel about school. The proportion rating their overall mental well-being as high fell from 62% in Grade 8 to 43% in Grade 12.
Positive emotions also became less common as students moved through school. The share who often or always felt happy at school dropped from 65% in Grade 8 to 48% in Grade 12. Confidence fell from 64% to 47%, while motivation declined from 64% to 49%.
At the same time, negative emotions became more frequent. The proportion of students who often or always felt anxious rose from 22% in Grade 8 to 37% in Grade 12. Those frequently experiencing low energy increased from 27% to 44%.
Together, these findings paint a troubling picture of the final years of school. The period when students face consequential academic and career decisions is also when several measures of their emotional well-being look weaker.
PERSONAL LIFE TELLS A DIFFERENT STORY
The picture is not entirely bleak. Across all students surveyed, 63% reported high satisfaction with their personal lives, including relationships with friends and family.
That contrast matters. Students may feel supported in their personal lives while finding school itself a source of dissatisfaction. Strong relationships outside the classroom do not automatically mean they are coping well with the demands inside it.
The report points to academic pressure, uncertainty about the future and the transition to higher education as possible contributors to the difficulties experienced by older students. However, the survey does not establish that any one factor causes the decline.
WHAT SHOULD SCHOOLS BE ASKING?
The findings raise an important question for schools and families: are students receiving enough support as exam pressure builds and decisions about college and careers become more immediate?
Academic performance remains visible through marks, mock tests and board results. Emotional well-being can be harder to spot, particularly when students continue attending classes and preparing for exams.
The report recommends stronger, more accessible well-being systems in schools. Its findings suggest that student support needs to be considered alongside academic preparation, not only after a student begins to struggle.
– Ends
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