"I Don't Want to Go to School" Comes Suddenly - About 80% of Parents First Notice Through Their Child's Words [2026 Survey]

DeltaX Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Takeshi Kuroiwa), which operates the cram school selection service 'JukuEra', has conducted a survey on 'school refusal' among junior high and high school students and is pleased to announce the results.

When a child says, "I don't want to go to school," many parents are likely bewildered by the sudden change.

In this survey of 100 parents of junior high and high school students who have experienced their child's 'school refusal', only 16% of parents were aware of their child's feelings before the child verbalized them. In other words, about 80% of parents did not realize their child's feeling of "not wanting to go to school" until the child expressed it in words or through actions like absence.

On the other hand, this does not mean there were no changes at all before the child spoke up. The survey found that in most households, some changes were observed before the school refusal, such as increased irritability or sleeping in. However, since such changes are not uncommon for adolescents, it appears it was difficult to recognize them as 'precursors to school refusal' at the time.

Regarding the timing of school refusal, 'after summer vacation' was the most common at 42%. In households where school refusal occurred after a long vacation, many responses indicated that during the vacation, the child's 'daily rhythm was disrupted' or they were 'immersed in games and social media'.

This article introduces the changes observed in children before school refusal, the behavior of children during long vacations like summer break who later showed school refusal, and the ways families interacted that led to the child returning to school, based on a survey of 100 parents.

Please see below for details.

"I Don't Want to Go to School" Comes Suddenly - About 80% First Notice Through Child's Words

This survey first revealed the difficulty parents face in detecting their child's feeling of "not wanting to go to school" in advance.

Regarding the timing of noticing the child's "not wanting to go to school," only 16% of cases were detected before the child verbalized it. This means that most parents only noticed after the child started saying "I don't want to go" or actually began to be absent – actions indicative of school refusal.

Possible reasons behind this include children being unable to articulate the reasons for their discomfort, or intentionally hiding it to avoid worrying their parents. Additionally, parents may perceive minor daily changes as "typical rebellious phase" or "temporary selfishness," making it difficult to recognize them as serious signs.

However, this does not mean there were no changes at all before the child spoke. The next chapter details the changes observed in children before school refusal.

Irritability is the Most Common Change Before School Refusal – Difficult to Distinguish from Typical Adolescent Behavior

Common Changes in Children: Irritability and Disrupted Daily Rhythm

In this survey, only 8% of parents reported that they 'noticed no particular change' before their child started refusing school. This means that in most households, there were some changes in the child.

*This survey allowed multiple answers, so totals may exceed 100%.

The most common change observed before school refusal was 'increased irritability' (48%). This was followed by changes related to daily rhythm, such as 'increased sleeping in' (42%) and 'increased staying up late' (36%).

These changes are not uncommon for adolescents. Therefore, they are easily dismissed as 'common occurrences,' making it difficult to recognize them as precursors to school refusal.

The Most Common Reason for School Refusal is 'Trouble with Friends'

*This survey allowed multiple answers, so totals may exceed 100%.

When asked about the reasons for not wanting to go to school, 'trouble with friends' (35%) was the most common. Other reasons included 'not fitting in with the class atmosphere' (28%), 'not getting along with the teacher' (15%), and 'stress from club activities' (15%), indicating that many children are struggling with their school environment.

In a separate survey of high school students conducted by JukuEra Journal, over 60% of high school students reported feeling 'interpersonal fatigue'. This suggests that even without specific problems, many students simply feel they 'don't want to go to school' or find it 'troublesome'.

Reference article:
80% of High School Students Have Felt 'I Don't Want to Go to School' – Underlying 'Interpersonal Fatigue' [High School Student Survey]

Timing of School Refusal is Most Common 'After Summer Vacation'

The previous chapter showed that reasons for school refusal often involve concerns about relationships and the environment within the school, such as 'trouble with friends' or 'not fitting in with the class atmosphere'.

On the other hand, there are also certain trends in the timing when school refusal is observed.

Peak After Summer Vacation – Caution Needed After Long Holidays

*This survey allowed multiple answers, so totals may exceed 100%.

While the reasons for not wanting to go to school vary by child, the results show that long vacations, such as summer break, are a common trigger for school refusal.

Children Who Refuse School After Long Holidays Tend to Have Disrupted 'Vacation Daily Rhythms'

n=74 Parents of children who showed school refusal after a long vacation
*This survey allowed multiple answers, so totals may exceed 100%.

Of course, disrupted daily rhythms or immersion in games and social media are not necessarily the direct cause of school refusal. As mentioned earlier, reasons for not wanting to go to school often include problems within the school, such as friendships and class atmosphere.

However, when waking and sleeping times shift later during a long vacation, it can become difficult to readjust to the morning school routine after the break. For children with anxiety or burdens related to school life, the added disruption of their daily rhythm can further raise the barrier to attending school.

"After summer vacation, my son started waking up later and increasingly arrived at school just in time to avoid being late. Gradually, he was late more often. He denied it, but I guessed there was some reason he didn't want to go to school." (usa / Saitama Prefecture / 7th grade boy / Parent)

"After summer vacation, it seemed hard for my daughter to get up in the morning. No matter how many times I called her, she wouldn't get out of bed, and she started saying, 'I don't want to go to school.'" (Pocketmarm / Hokkaido / 10th grade girl / Parent)

Furthermore, 46% of parents reported that their child was 'immersed in games and social media'. During long vacations, free time increases compared to the school term, and time spent on smartphones and games can become longer. Discussing wake-up times, bedtimes, and smartphone/game usage with children before a long vacation may help adjust the rhythm for returning to school after the break.

Reference article: Curfew 'Loose', Smartphones 'Strict'? Survey on Life Rules for Junior High and High School Students [Latest 2026]

Response to 'I Don't Want to Go to School' – About 60% of Families 'Wait and See'

When a child says "I don't want to go to school," about 60% of families choose to 'wait and see' how things develop.