Why I No Longer Wish to Attend School? A Narrative Inquiry on Middle School Students

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  In Roundtable Session: Approaches and Challenges to Youth Health and Well-Being

Abstract

Global school refusal affects 17.8% of children and adolescents, extending beyond psychological concerns to impact educational governance. This narrative study, using a dwelling perspective, interviewed 12 students to explore underlying structural issues. Findings reveal that school refusal stems from a systemic “survival squeeze” within academically-centric environments, enforced by spatio-temporal arrangements, disciplinary rules, and evaluations. This, combined with absent or imbalanced support from family, teachers, and peers, triggers and sustains school refusal. The monotonous, high-intensity school life, emotionally detached family support, conditional teacher-student relationships, and competitive peer dynamics collectively interact with students' subjectivity, leading to resistance. Addressing school refusal requires shifting from "fixing individuals" to "reshaping the school dwelling environment," reconstructing the school lifeworld and public support to foster student development.

Authors

• peixuan li, Beijing Normal University

• Qian Zhao, Beijing Normal University