A new study in the British Educational Research Journal is likely to attract the attention of many schools and policymakers. Carolyn Jackson and Mieke Van Houtte compared the experiences of 15-year-olds in England and Flanders in school. Their question was simple but essential: Is fear of failure linked to how competitive an education system feels? And what role does a sense of belonging play?

The comparison between the two regions is an interesting one. England has long been an “exam nation”, with frequent standardised testing and clear consequences for pupils, schools, and even teachers’ careers. Flanders is, or rather, was, almost the opposite. Until 2024, there were no national tests, and schools enjoyed considerable autonomy. At the same time, Flanders has recently been looking more closely at England, while England itself is starting to rethink elements of its testing regime. In other words, perfect conditions for a comparison.

So what do the authors find? English pupils report:

• more fear of failure

• more competition

• less cooperation

• and a lower sense of belonging

than their Flemish peers.

The first point is hardly surprising: international well-being studies have consistently shown that English adolescents report high levels of school-related stress. What is particularly interesting here is that part of the difference between the two regions can be explained by how competitive pupils feel their school environment to be. And the buffer? A strong sense of belonging. Pupils who feel seen and supported report less fear, regardless of the system in which they are.

So far, so clear. But as always, a careful reader needs to proceed with caution. This study utilises PISA 2018 data, which is indeed large-scale; however, in this case, it is entirely based on self-reports. Moreover, complex concepts such as competition, cooperation, belonging and fear of failure are measured through what you might call short, broad scales: a small number of items intended to capture a huge phenomenon.

That is perfectly reasonable in an international survey. After all, you cannot administer an entire psychological test battery to tens of thousands of adolescents. But it does mean that you get a general impression rather than a detailed picture. Subtle forms of competitive pressure (from parents, media, social comparison) or nuances in belonging (to whom, when, and in what way you feel you belong) disappear quickly from view. The scales are reliable enough to detect trends, but not precise enough to uncover all underlying mechanisms.

Another important point is that PISA data are correlational by definition. The authors make this clear; however, the discussion risks creating the impression that the education system causes the differences observed. It might, but it does not have to. In Flanders, for instance, several mechanisms can also produce feelings of competition, including grade retention, “B-certificates” (partial passes), and the well-known “cascade” effect towards less prestigious programmes. These receive less attention in the interpretation. And still, the study finds that Flemish pupils score lower on fear of failure. Or more accurately, that they report lower levels. At the very least, this raises the question of which additional factors might be at work: school cultures, parental expectations, media, or broader social uncertainty.

So what can we say with some confidence? Pupils who experience a great deal of competition are more likely to fear failure. That belonging and cooperation have a protective effect. And that schools always benefit when they make pupils feel they are allowed to be who they are—even when learning does not follow a straight line.

However, we should also be cautious of drawing quick system-level conclusions. The differences between England and Flanders are real, but the explanation is more complex than a single policy choice. The study points us in a direction, not towards a final answer. And that is valuable in itself: it helps us ask better questions. For instance, how we might reduce pressure without abandoning ambition, and how we might make learning feel like something you do together.

If you want to take just one message from all of this, perhaps it is this: the more a school feels like a place where you belong, the less it feels like a place where you can fail. And that seems like a good starting point for any education system.