Primary 6 student tries to jump off school building

 

By Faris – February 22nd, 2011

A primary six student gives his classmates and teacher a bad scare. (Photo: Yahoo!).

A local primary school student shocked his classmates when he broke down in class and threatened to jump off the building.

The 12-year-old dashed out of the classroom and dangled half his body out the fifth-floor corridor railing before a teacher managed to pull him in.

The incident occurred last Wednesday afternoon at a primary school in Tampines.

When interview, the teacher who declined to be named, said the primary six student suddenly “lost control” in class and began crying and screaming, scaring his classmate and teacher.

He then rushed out of the classroom and leaned over the railings. A physical education teacher who was nearby managed to catch hold of his legs and pulled him back in time.

Students in adjacent classes were alarmed by the commotion and stepped out of their classrooms to see what was happening.

After he was pulled to safety, the boy received counselling for more than an hour that same afternoon. But he seemed restless and requested for breaks to get food and water from the canteen, the teacher told local Chinese paper, Wanbao.

“He seemed to have calmed down by then, and was seen laughing with his classmates and teacher.”

According to sources, it was reported that the boy had an outgoing character and was mischievous. Parents of students at the school who were interviewed say they had heard of the incident from their children.

“The child may not really intend to commit suicide, but was just being naughty”, said one parent.

Students these days are more influenced by the media, according to a counsellor interviewed by the same paper. “Whereas before, children were more ‘innocent’, the kids these days are more exposed to negative influences from the media”, he said.

They may copy what they see from TV or the Internet, without fully realising the consequence of their actions. “It could also be that the child is under tremendous pressure due to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PLSE), or he could be facing family problems that led to his outburst.”

He said it is important that schools make it easier for students to consult their teachers or counsellors at school when they have a problem.

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