Transforming the School System: From a Performance Culture to a Culture of Development
Last updated: February 3, 2026
Over the past few years, I have had many conversations about mental health and performance pressure. I find this blog especially important because it is based on insights that came from co-creation with young people. Young people, Like Charlie, De Gezonde Generatie, MIND, and other organisations worked together on the conditions needed for a mentally healthy learning environment.
These conditions form a foundation for initiatives in education that focus on mental wellbeing. At the same time, there is an important nuance: performance pressure is not caused by school alone. It is a mix of society, expectations, social media, stress about the future, and how we define success.
These themes also show up in the clothing at Like Charlie. View all story print T shirts: https://www.likecharlieclothing.com/collections/t-shirts
Performance pressure in numbers
School pressure has increased significantly over the past decades. In 2001, 16 percent of young people in secondary education said they experienced quite a lot of pressure from schoolwork. In 2021, that number had risen to 45 percent.
https://www.scp.nl/publicaties-scp/2022/09/gezondheid-en-welzijn-van-jongeren-in-nederland---hbsc-2021
Additional context from the education sector:
https://www.vo-raad.nl/nieuws/verslechtering-mentale-gezondheid-jongeren-en-toename-schooldruk
That does not mean school is the only cause. But it does show that the issue remains urgent.
What young people see as the conditions for a mentally healthy learning environment
During three co-creation sessions, young people selected a top 5 priority list out of 52 recommendations for a mentally healthy learning environment. This top 5 is also shared within De Gezonde Generatie.
https://www.gezondegeneratie.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/23-03-22-Infographic-Big-5-V8-unicef.pdf
The Big 5, summarised in the words of young people:
See me as a person, not only as my grades
Support teachers so they can be trusted mentors for us
Teach us about our mental and physical health
Make mental wellbeing a structural priority in education
Be able to be your authentic self, both offline and online
What I find strong about this is that it is not about having less ambition. It is about a different definition of success. More development, more room for mistakes, more attention to who someone is. Things need to change. This way of thinking is also part of why I started Like Charlie. Read our story and find out who Charlie is: https://www.likecharlieclothing.com/pages/het-verhaal
What society thinks about it
The Dutch Collaborative Health Funds published a report on how people in the Netherlands view performance pressure among young people, including the role of education and the broader context. It also shows that education is not seen as the main cause, but that a majority experiences performance pressure in secondary education and in vocational and higher education as unhealthy or very unhealthy.
Four directions for change that deserve further research and action
In the report and in conversations with young people, four directions keep coming back. I have listed them below, together with practical examples.
1) Less emphasis on performance in society
What this could look like:
valuing growth, effort, creativity, and practical skills, not just grades
talking more realistically about success, detours, and failure
parents, schools, and employers comparing less and guiding more
2) Less pressure and distraction from social media and phones
What this could look like:
clear school agreements about phone use
teaching students how algorithms work and what comparison does to you
more attention to rest, focus, and sleep as a foundation
3) Teaching young people how to deal with performance pressure
What this could look like:
skills such as planning, setting boundaries, regulating stress, and dealing with mistakes
normal conversations about tension, fear of failure, and perfectionism
a safe culture where students feel comfortable asking questions
4) More attention to social and emotional skills in education
What this could look like:
working structurally on social safety and group dynamics
reflection, collaboration, communication, and dealing with emotions
less focus on testing alone, more formative feedback and growth-based conversations
From a performance culture to a culture of development: what that could look like in real life
A culture of development is not soft. It is smart. It focuses on long term learning.
Five ideas schools can often start testing right away:
More feedback on process and strategy, less focus on the grade as the final outcome
More room to make mistakes and learn from them
Mentor time that is truly about wellbeing, connection, and future perspective
Better support for teachers, so they can stay resilient too
More appreciation for different routes, including practical education and craftsmanship
What this has to do with Like Charlie
Like Charlie is here to make mental health easier to talk about and to encourage open conversations. School is exactly where the foundation is laid for how you see yourself. Am I only my performance, or am I a person with talents, boundaries, and growth?
Discover the question card game to encourage open conversations:
https://www.likecharlieclothing.com/collections/vragenspellen
Interested in workshops or a conversation at school? We do not yet have a dedicated page for this. Email us at management@likecharlieclothing.com.
FAQ
Is performance pressure only a school problem?
No. It is often a mix of society, expectations, stress about the future, social media, and education. But school is a place where you spend many hours, and where pressure can build up.
What is the first step towards a culture of development?
Make success bigger than grades. Let students experience that growth matters, and that making mistakes is allowed.
What can parents do?
Compare less, ask more about how someone feels, and appreciate effort and development, not only outcomes.
Where can I read more about these insights?
The Big 5 for a mentally healthy learning environment and the SGF report are a strong place to start.
Sources
Dutch Collaborative Health Funds, Public insight into performance pressure, report
https://www.gezondegeneratie.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/33067.-SGF-Inzicht-in-prestatiedruk-rapportage-5-december-2022-2.pdf
Big 5 for a mentally healthy learning environment, co-creation with young people
https://www.gezondegeneratie.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/23-03-22-Infographic-Big-5-V8-unicef.pdf
HBSC 2021, school pressure figures from 2001 to 2021
https://www.scp.nl/publicaties-scp/2022/09/gezondheid-en-welzijn-van-jongeren-in-nederland---hbsc-2021
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