Schoolgirls in Sweden are tearing their hair out over homework and exams more than boys, according to a new report. Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyran) revealed the results of a study this week that suggest female students get far more stressed than their male counterparts.
The Living Conditions survey of 1,100 pupils asked if they felt tense about different aspects of their school lives. The responses revealed that students in general find tests and homework stressful, upper secondary school pupils are more likely to feel the pressure than younger students, and girls place higher demands on themselves than boys.
Only 25 percent of children in upper elementary and low secondary classes reported being fretful about their studies, while 75 percent of girls and 50 percent of boys in upper secondary schools said they felt anxious. An equal number of girls and boys also said pressure from teachers and parents added to the strain.
Demands students are placing on themselves were also found to be more common with older students, and girls especially. In upper secondary school, 60 percent of girls and 37 percent of boys said they pressured themselves to do well.