Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a quiet but unmistakable shift in the emotional lives of the girls attending our school, aged 11 to 16. The changes don’t always present loudly, in fact, they often manifest in subtle ways: a trembling voice during a presentation, sudden absences, a bright, high-achieving student suddenly unable to complete homework. But we have learnt to look beneath the surface.

There is fear. Not just the age-old fear of exams or fitting in, but something deeper: a fear of not being enough. Fear of failure, fear of exclusion, fear of letting others down. And more recently, fear of a world that often feels unpredictable and overwhelming.

These trends aren’t unique to our school. The World Health Organization reports that anxiety and depression are on the rise among adolescents worldwide, with girls particularly affected by internalised stress (WHO, Adolescent Mental Health, 2021).

At the same time, there is resilience, profound and inspiring. We see it in students who have learnt breathing techniques to calm their nerves or in others who advocate for friends in crisis. In the quiet students, who tell us that they feel “on edge all the time”, but yet they struggle with attending school every day.

But their resilience is being tested, often beyond what’s reasonable. A key factor is the support, or lack of it, that students receive at home. Many parents are caring and well-intentioned, but they too are overwhelmed. Some struggle to guide their daughters through emotional challenges, uncertain whether to step in or step back. Others become overly involved, smoothing out every bump in their child’s journey, and inadvertently denying them the opportunity to grow through challenges.

In some cases, collaboration between home and school breaks down, concerns are met with resistance, or expectations placed on the school are disproportionate. The truth is, we cannot support students effectively unless we work together. When home and school are out of sync, it is the child who suffers most.

We also see a worrying decline in critical thinking. Our students are intelligent and digitally fluent, but many struggle to evaluate information, think flexibly, or make independent decisions under pressure. They are so conditioned to search for the “right answer” that when a task demands rethinking or ambiguity, they shut down. The discomfort of not knowing feels intolerable. OECD research,  in 21st Century Readers: Developing Literacy Skills in a Digital World (2020), confirms that while digital fluency is rising, critical-thinking skills have not kept pace.

We are also increasingly aware of another serious concern: eating disorders. Though not always immediately visible, we have seen more girls displaying patterns of disordered eating, extreme food control, and body image distress. For some, it is a response to anxiety. For others, it stems from a need to assert control in a world that feels uncertain. Social media intensifies these vulnerabilities by reinforcing beauty ideals and glorifying restriction. According to the World Health Organization, eating disorders are now among the most common chronic illnesses in adolescents in some countries, particularly among girls (WHO, World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All, 2022). These conditions are complex and often secretive, but with vigilance and compassion, we are learning to identify signs earlier and respond more effectively.

And we must not forget our educators. Teachers and school staff are carrying a heavy emotional and professional load. They are not only delivering curriculum and marking work, they are also expected to act as mentors, mental health supporters, and mediators. A 2022 Teacher Wellbeing Index by Education Support found that over 75% of teachers report stress or burnout, with workload and student emotional needs among the top causes.

Staff too face fear, fear of doing the wrong thing, fear of failing their students, fear of falling short. Their resilience, too, is stretched thin.

All of these insights come not just from day-to-day experience, but from a wider process of reflection and listening, part of our school’s annual community evaluation in preparation for next year’s school development planning. Through open discussions with students, staff, and families, a powerful message has emerged: emotional and mental wellbeing must be embedded as a foundation, not treated as an afterthought.

That is why we are not standing still. As a school, we are now in our third year of delivering Mental Health First Aid training to all Year 9 students, helping them recognise and respond to emotional distress in themselves and others. A high percentage of our staff have also completed Mental Health First Aid certification, in collaboration with the Richmond Foundation, building a safer, more informed school environment. In addition, we are proud to have the ongoing support of the St Jeanne Antide Foundation, whose services are available to us in times of emergency or urgent need. A heartfelt thank you to the psycho-social team from the Secretariat for Catholic Education, who remain consistently engaged with us and provide invaluable support to our school community.

These are not quick fixes. They are deliberate, long-term commitments to nurturing the kind of community where students and staff can grow, struggle, and recover safely.

It is in this spirit that we have chosen next year’s school theme:
Agħmel il-pass – Take the Plunge!
A challenge and invitation to face fear, embrace uncertainty, and step forward together. For our students, it means developing the courage to think critically, to take risks, and to learn through failure. For our staff, it means modelling balance, adaptability, and care. For our families, it means engaging with trust and partnership.

We are not chasing the ideal situation but we are doing our utmost to foster growth.

Above all, we must listen. Deeply. Compassionately. Without judgment.

Because behind every anxious expression or sudden silence, there is often a story, sometimes a student’s, sometimes a staff member’s. And each one is doing their best to be brave in a world that keeps demanding more.

 

Ms Melanie Ungaro

Head of School

Immaculate Conception School, Tarxien