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Student suicides blamed on too much pressure to succeed 23rd June 2008
A high
school student who failed her graduation exam is in a critical condition
after trying to kill herself last week. Children take time off from
school to visit tourism sites. A number of recent student suicides has
prompted health officials to urge parents not to put too much pressure
on their children to do well at school. The girl, who lives in the
central province of Quang Ngai, was found unconscious in her bedroom by
her parents, who asked for her name to be withheld. She is thought to
have drunk pesticide.
Although she is being treated in hospital doctor say they are uncertain
if she will survive.Her mother said she was doing well in school, but
found it difficult to cope with the pressure of exams. The girl was one
of two high school students who attempted to kill themselves last week
after failing their graduation exam.
Psychiatrists say too much pressure is being put on children to succeed.
That, combined with a heavy workload, can lead to serious depression and
even suicide, they warn. Although there are no official statistics on
the number of students committing suicide, medical professionals say the
figure is high enough to warrant urgent attention.
Dr Nguyen Dinh Thi Thanh, a medical consultant for the 1088 Consulting
Service, says the main causes of depression among school children are
problems at home and difficulties at school – bullying, overwork or exam
pressure. "Recently, we have been receiving numerous calls from parents
worried about the effects of too much school work on their children,"
said Thanh.
Thanh cited the recent example of a tenth-grade student in Hanoi who had
been suffering from depression for nearly a year due to her study load.
She didn’t want to talk about it with anyone, said Thanh. Her mother
rang us in tears, saying she didn’t know what to do. She had tried a
number of hospitals, without success. Professor Tran Huu Binh, from Bach
Mai Hospital’s Mental Health Institute, says more attention should be
given to depression – particularly among school children – because it
carries a high risk of suicide.
Early symptoms include insomnia, inability to concentrate, an
inferiority complex and loss of libido. He said that fear of failure led
many students to consider suicide, particularly when exams approach.
Pham Phu Minh, a 12th-grade student in Hanoi said he was desperate to
get into university this year. "I can let my parents down," he said.
Nguyen Thi Mai, a secondary school teacher in Hanoi, said she believed
parental pressure was the main reason for student depression. "We
understand what kind of pressure students are under and we sympathise
but all we can do is encourage them."
Winning at all costs
Psychologist Nguyen Hoi Loan, from the Social Sciences and Humanities
University, says students must learn that winning isn’t everything. "Our
education system has for a long time taught students the importance of
being successful, without teaching them how to cope with failure.
Besides, the country’s cultural tradition is to give prominence to
study, which is seen as the foundation for leadership," said Loan.
Loan added that the families of children, particularly from rural parts,
had invested a lot in their children’s education, which only piled on
more pressure. "Parents should not force their children to do what they
could not do in the past. Let’s them live their own lives," said Loan.
Source: VNN
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