A 17-year-old boy jumped from a school building to his death in Yuen Long in the New Territories on Monday morning.
The student, surnamed Ng, had been studying for his Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exams at Tang Siu Tong Secondary School in Yuen Long.
He went to a classroom at about 8am and dropped his schoolbag before climbing over the fence and falling to the playground, Oriental Daily reported.
Ng was found unconscious. Staff immediately called the police and the school principal accompanied the injured boy to Tuen Mun Hospital for medical treatment. However, he was certified dead at the hospital.
Police found a suicide note and said they would arrange an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death later.
Ng was under stress from his studies for the university entrance examination and had previously sought assistance from the school social worker.
Some students had gathered at the playground for an assembly, and at least ten of them witnessed Ng’s fall – which caused an emotional impact, as many felt unwell.
Counseling services had been arranged for students needing some support, the principal said, Wen Wei Po reported.
Paul Yip, director of the University Hong Kong’s Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention, said he was sad to hear about the case and advised students not to get too stressed about their exams.
Parents and teachers should talk to and listen to students more – not only about their academic performance, but also pay attention to any who have unstable emotions, Yip said.
The Samaritans run a 24-hour multilingual suicide prevention hotline +852 2896 0000 or emails can be sent to jo@samaritans.org.hk.
So you are suggesting students can’t get stressed at the start of a year? or start studying for exams early in the year? And as for the holiday… did you notice the date on the article??? Well before your Monday holiday.