A sixth-grade female student at a private school in Hyderabad allegedly committed suicide by jumping off the third floor of the school building moments before the school’s closing time.
CCTV footage showed the 12-year-old schoolgirl climbing the railing in the third flood passageway and then jumping to the ground as two staff members are seen near her, apparently trying to persuade her to get down from the railing.
The body of the girl was taken to the Liaquat University Hospital by the staff on their own. The girl’s family members, the school’s principal, and staff also rushed to the hospital.
Read more: Suicide pattern in medical colleges
On the other hand, SSP Hyderabad Ajmad Shaikh had formed a 4-member committee headed by ASP Alina Rajpar to probe the incident. The inquiry committee submitted its report to the director of private schools and the Sindh education minister. It also recommended the removal of the school principal.
The contents of the inquiry report and the order about the suspension of school registration were shared by the Sindh Minister of Education and Literacy Department Sardar Shah on the department’s Twitter handle. Shah expressed sorrow over the incident and said that no leniency would be shown toward the school.
*حیدرآباد نجی اسکول میں بچی کی ہلاکت کا معاملہ*/ وزیر تعلیم سندھ @sardarshah1 کے احکامات پر ابتدائی انکوائری مکمل
اسکول انتظامیہ کی غفلت ظاہر ہونے پر اسکول کی رجسٹریشن معطل، پرنسپال کو برخاست کرنے کی ہدایت۔
انکوائری رپورٹ وزیر تعلیم سندھ کو پیش کردی گئی۔ pic.twitter.com/dwNJ7Uv8dp
— Minister Education & Literacy Dept. Govt of Sindh (@MinisterEduGoS) February 13, 2023
While it remains unclear what drove the young student to take such an extreme measure, netizens have nevertheless expressed their shock over the incident and stressed the seriousness of mental health, especially for students who face intense academic pressure at school.
Prevention and treatment of mental health disorders in the country is still one of the most neglected fields in Pakistan due to the stigma surrounding mental health disorders. More than half of Pakistan’s student population is under stress due to the academic burden schools put on them.
Read more: 3 Pakistani students in Australia commit suicide
Furthermore, students are pressurized to achieve top scores in exams, and failure to excel academically increases mental stress which in some cases, leads to students taking extreme measures.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) asserted in a report that every year more than 15,000 suicide cases are recorded in Pakistan. Around 25 percent of the cases involve teenagers. Netizens have demanded that schools provide counseling and guidance to their students and educate their staff about issues related to mental health and well-being.
We need to have counselling sessions everywhere, no matter it's school, collage, hospital, offices, whatever is it. Her life was not even just begun which she had to ended, God knows the reason but we don't. Please i beg you all to be humble, gentle,
— TumbleWeed🌸 (@fazoooooooooool) February 13, 2023
Let’s just not burden kids, youth with unfair pressure and unrealistic dreams that they take extreme steps.Tell them it’s ok if they didn’t score well in exams. If not today tomorrow is a new day. You are precious than any grade Go tell them.
— Rashid #FreePalestine (@thatMadridFreak) February 13, 2023
A 6th class student in Hyderabad committed suicide in school, wonder what schools are doing man this is so sad to know 💔💔
— نینو (@nenokaprivv) February 13, 2023
Tragic news 6th class student of City school Jinnah Campus did suicide Qasimabad Hyderabad Branch
— Yasir Lodhi Pathan (@scorpionyasir1) February 13, 2023