Tackling School Phobia - Cross-Border Guidance Exchange in the Greater Region

Author: Kathleen Lapie, Euroguidance Luxembourg

With school phobia increasing across Europe, guidance professionals from Belgium, France and Luxembourg came together in March 2025 for a cross-border study day to share practical approaches to supporting young people and their families. 

Although still not widely recognised, school phobia is affecting a growing number of young people. School phobia can be described as a form of anxiety that makes attending school impossible, often associated with withdrawal into the home. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in school phobia and professionals in school psychology and guidance services are increasingly confronted with its impact. 

Cross-Border Collaboration for better understanding 

To gain a better understanding of issue and impact, strengthen knowledge on what school phobia is, and create learning exchange opportunities among professionals in a shared language, a cross-border study day was organised in Arlon with the support of Euroguidance-Luxembourg. The event was part of an ongoing cooperation led by the French-speaking cross-border working group for guidance in the Greater Region.  

This working group brings together guidance professionals from guidance centres of the Nancy-Metz Academy (France), the Psycho-medico-social centres of the Province of Luxembourg (Belgium) and the Luxembourg House of Guidance. The purpose of this working group is to support guidance professionals by providing perspectives on their respective practices and fostering collaboration within the cross-border Greater Region. Every two years, the group organises cross-border study days that give French-speaking school and career guidance professionals in the region an opportunity to meet and discuss topics directly linked to needs that have been identified in the field of guidance. This year, the theme chosen was school phobia or anxious school refusal. This theme was chosen in response to the growing increase seen relating to school phobia. 

The Phenomenon of School Phobia 

The study day began with a presentation by Dr Emmanuel THILL who is a child psychiatrist and head of the Le Vert à soiL which is a renowned consultation centre in Tournai (Belgium), which specialises in treating school phobia and social anxiety in particular. More information can be found on https://www.levertasoi.net/. 

Dr Emmanuel Thill highlighted the multifaceted nature of school phobia and the impact. There are different types of fears and a variety of factors that can lead to anxiety that makes young people unable to attend school. The first step is to identify and understand the symptoms, whether they manifest as anxiety, aggression, avoidance, sleep disorders or screen addiction. Establishing a proper diagnosis is essential to providing appropriate support and creating a safe environment in order to maintain or even re-establish a connection and reduce the student's stress.  
 

Sharing Best Practices 

Dr Thill shared with the participants a range of examples and tools that have been tested in practice over the years. Reasonable accommodations based on diagnosis may include: adapting the student’s reception at school or in class, removing the young person from the sight of others during a stress crisis, adjusting meal times, or promoting the student’s strengths and talents. Ideally, a balance should be found between four key areas: school, socialisation, the young person, and the family. 

The day continued with workshops where professionals exchanged insights on identifying and supporting students with school phobia. Networking opportunities also facilitated future collaborations among guidance professionals from the region. This study day exemplified effective cross-border information sharing and mutual support, fostering new ideas and practices across the three neighbouring countries. 

The path forward : Solutions, training and exchange 

Responding to the increase in mental health challenges among young people since the Covid-19 pandemic, the presentations and discussions explored potential solutions. There are indeed ways to address school phobia and social or school-related anxiety, particularly by helping young people reconnect through alternative forms of socialisation outside the school environment. 

However, there is still a lot to be done to destigmatise and to further train teachers, school staff, and guidance professionals on these issues affecting children and adolescents. These identified needs allow for future cooperation and European exchange opportunities. 

More details: 

https://maison-orientation.public.lu/fr/actualites/2025/journee-etude-francophone-2025.html