8-year-old refuses to attend school, threatens suicide on 33-story building

Although schools are a place for all kinds of learning to take place, some kids don’t want to go to school for justifiable reasons, such as bullying, stress and pressure. Even more worryingly is the trend of child suicide from excessive academic pressure.

In 2016, we heard the devastating news of a schoolboy who killed himself because of his “poor” grades. Now, another young boy has tried to take his life because of school-related stress and pressure. 

The attempted child suicide happened in China. Construction workers stationed well above ground sighted a young boy very close at the edge of a 33-story building.

“I don’t want to go to school!” he wailed. Apparently, the boy had also wanted to jump from the building.

Once they saw this, the workers immediately rang 119. What ensued was a heroic rescue, widely shared on China’s social media, which you can watch below:

The footage shows a firefighter arriving on the scene. He walks towards the wailing child, unflustered. Once he reaches the primary-schooler, the firefighter talks to the boy normally.

After trying to get a firm grasp on the boy, the rescuer manages to fasten a harness and rope round the boy’s waist. His colleagues, who were surrounding the boy, then manage to pull him back up safely.

Apparently, according to firefighters, the boy was soaked in sweat and was shaking intensely as they approached him. He was crying in a low voice about refusing to attend school.

However, after a 10 minute conversation between the two, the firefighter managed to console and calm the child down. It was only after that he was led back to safety. 

Reportedly, the boy’s parents realised they need to change their parenting methods and help reduce the stress and pressure of learning and school, on their child. 

When kids don’t want to go to school and can’t handle pressure, they might turn to drastic measures, like this child.  Thankfully this boy was rescued before it became too late. | Image Source: Screenshot from youtube

Children in many Asian countries — including Singapore — are often under massive pressure to perform well academically. They’ve been taught the mantra to study with their utmost potential, excel in exams, and enter a quality university.

However, not all kids can cope. Some can’t handle the pressure. Take the case of a girl who almost succeeded in ending her life. 

Sometimes, all it takes is pressure from parents, bullying and not giving space for kids to fail (failure is a part of life everyone should learn to tackle and overcome). How can we, as parents, help our kids to reach their full academic potential, while also relieving our expectations off them?

Parents, do understand that a bad grade, or one that’s below expectations doesn’t mean your child is a failure for life. There are many other factors which determine your child’s success later in life. 

Here are some tips to help you relieve your child’s academic pressure.

• Be realistic – know what your child can achieve. Once you know their limits, find out what they need from you. Is it pressure? Or encouragement? Explain to your child the importance of their studies and let them know that you are there for them as a source of support.
• Let your child decide how they want support. Each child responds differently to pressure. Some may enjoy you setting them challenges. Others may want support and encouragement. Certain children might really need extra tuition, or the space and time to relax. Whatever the case, do adjust how you help your child specific to their needs.
• Don’t come down hard if they’ve tried their best. Don’t continue to force unrealistic expectations on your child if you know that they have tried their best. Your child still has a lot of time to progress and catch up on their own in the future.
• Encourage them to be open about their struggles. Tell your children that you’re there for them. They shouldn’t be fearful of talking to you about issues in class or subjects that they find especially tough. Knowing your child’s strengths and weaknesses will make it easier for you to help them better prepare for their exams.

Parents, we hope that this article on why kids don’t want to go to school and the methods to calm them from academic stress has helped your little one cope better. Remember that exams aren’t everything in life!

Reference: Shanghaiist

Also read:

Is academic stress to blame for high suicide rates among Singaporean children?

A Principal rescued student just as she was about to commit suicide

Child suicide amongst Singapore kids