A growing concern is the decline of seriousness and academic engagement in contemporary high school education, with a shift in student priorities and a lack of academic challenge contributing to the issue. The trend, as observed by a seasoned high school teacher, is marked by students prioritizing social interactions and exam preparation over genuine learning, creating an environment where “pretending” increasingly replaces serious academic pursuit.

Written absence is growing, and a significant portion of students come unprepared for class, with some even lacking the necessary textbooks. There’s a growing need for teachers to simplify material, even basic Danish texts from the 1800s, due to students’ difficulty in comprehending older texts, even with explanations. The article underlines that students don’t show respect towards the teachers, the classroom environment is noisy, and students are reluctant to seek assistance when needed.

The prevalent use of social media and digital entertainment is also impacting students’ focus, contributing to their lack of interest in academic subjects. Students are spending an average of three hours on social media daily, often sneaking their phones out during class or using their computers for non-academic purposes, leading to the need for strict phone confiscation and screen monitoring.

While student behavior is a significant factor, the article stresses that teachers and management bear some responsibility for the lack of academic rigor in high school. There’s an overemphasis on entertainment and social activities, such as student parties and social media engagement, at the expense of academic immersion and the joy of learning. This approach reinforces the academic and formative decline, negatively impacting academically interested students who become bored and leading to a growing number of young people missing out on the transformative experience of learning and expanding their understanding of the world.