Australian schools are being asked to do more than ever before, with students looking to them not just for learning, but for support, safety and a sense of belonging.
A new national survey of 400 secondary school students suggests the schools making the biggest impact are those pairing high expectations with high empathy, helping young people succeed both in the classroom and beyond.
Importantly, young people are showing that they are resilient in the face of the many pressures they’re facing.
The report’s authors said that while students report significant pressures, many also describe improvements in physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, and continue to express optimism about their future.
Success starts with support
The NAB 2026 Education Insights Report, titled ‘Life at School’, found that while students are under a lot of pressure, many are also doing better in subjects like English, Maths and Science.
“Students are telling us something nuanced: they can be under significant pressure and still be making academic progress,” Dean Pearson, NAB’s Head of Behavioural Economics, told The Educator.
“The improvement students report in core areas such as English, Maths and Science suggests many schools are getting the fundamentals right - clear teaching, structured learning, targeted support and high expectations are helping students build confidence in the classroom.”
However, Pearson noted that NAB’s findings also show that academic gains should not be mistaken for a sign that students are coping easily.
“Many are achieving while carrying a heavy emotional load, with pressure, workload, anxiety, distraction and motivation all shaping their school experience,” he said.
“Schools appear to be making progress where they combine academic rigour with emotional intelligence: maintaining high standards, while also providing encouragement, flexibility, belonging and strong teacher-student relationships.”
Pearson said the schools getting it right are not necessarily reducing expectations; they are making those expectations feel achievable.
“They are helping students feel seen as individuals, not just as performers, and are recognising that wellbeing, motivation and confidence are part of learning, not separate from it,” he said.
“For school leaders, the opportunity is to preserve what is working academically while strengthening the support systems around students.”
Pearson pointed out that while achievement matters, the survey suggests sustainable achievement depends on students feeling safe, supported, motivated and connected.
“In short, the best schools are combining high expectations with high empathy.”
Resilience needs the right conditions
Pearson said that while students are facing challenges, many are also adapting, improving, and looking for ways to make school better.
“Their resilience appears to come from a mix of supportive relationships, structured learning, peer connection and a belief that things can improve when adults listen,” he said. “Many students are asking school to work better for them.”
Pearson said this matters because optimism can exist alongside anxiety.
“Students may feel tired, stressed or overwhelmed, but still see value in learning, relationships and future possibilities,” he said. “The improvements students report in core subjects suggest that structure, support and clearer expectations are helping many feel more capable.”
At the same time, said Pearson, their suggestions for more practical life skills, better facilities, safer environments, more personalised learning and stronger wellbeing support show agency rather than disengagement.
“They are not simply saying school is hard; they are telling adults what would help them thrive,” he said. “The important point is that resilience should not make schools complacent. Resilience is not limitless.”
Pearson said the task for schools is to strengthen the conditions that allow it to flourish.
“This means belonging, safety, flexibility, encouragement, trusted relationships and learning that feels relevant to students’ lives,” he said. “In that sense, NAB’s survey shows a generation under pressure but still engaged enough to tell us what needs to change.”
The new measure of school success
One of the NAB report’s most telling findings was that students see schools as places of protection, guidance and possibility, not just academic achievement.
When asked what he thinks that says about what young people need most from schools right now, Pearson said a key message for leaders is that young people need schools to be more than places of instruction.
“They need them to be places of safety, connection, guidance and preparation for life,” he said.
“Students are still focused on learning, but their comments show they are also looking to schools for adults who notice when they are struggling, environments where they feel protected from bullying and harassment, and learning that helps them feel more prepared for the future.”
What stands out is that students are not rejecting school, Pearson said.
“They are asking schools to meet a wider set of needs. They call for better wellbeing support, safer spaces, stronger consequences for bullying, more personalised learning, practical life skills, better facilities, and teachers who understand them as individuals,” he said.
“They are describing school as a place where academic achievement, emotional security and future readiness all come together.”
Pearson said the core message is that students do not see wellbeing and learning as separate.
“They want schools that help them perform, but also help them belong, cope and imagine a future for themselves,” he said.
“For schools, that means success should be measured not only by whether students are achieving academically, but also by whether they feel safe enough, supported enough and hopeful enough to thrive.”