Sudden School Reluctance in Children May Signal Behavioural Disorder

JAKARTA - Parents frequently interpret a child’s reluctance to attend school as laziness, mere attention-seeking, or a temporary reaction to accumulating schoolwork. Such resistance often prompts persuasion or even coercion to ensure the child attends school on time.

However, Dr Kusuma Minayati, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, has cautioned that such refusal should be viewed as a condition requiring closer monitoring by parents. “Mental health disorders in children often manifest as behavioural problems, such as school refusal,” Dr Kusuma explained during a discussion with the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment of the Republic of Indonesia at the Faculty of Medical Science, University of Indonesia in Central Jakarta on Friday (27 February 2026).

Many parents incorrectly assume their child refuses school because they find academic material overwhelming or fear examinations. However, Dr Kusuma explained that a child’s motivation for attending school is far broader and deeper than academic concerns alone.

For mentally healthy children, school serves as a place to interact, express themselves and develop healthy competition with peers. This social interaction is typically the primary reason children look forward to school each day.

Parents should instead investigate what has diminished this sense of enjoyment. If the desire to play and meet friends has also disappeared, it may indicate mental distress the child cannot bear alone.

Dr Kusuma explained that mental health disorders during childhood development often do not manifest through complex language, but rather through the loss of interest in simple things previously greatly enjoyed by the child.