VIJAYAWADA: As many as two students allegedly died by suicide in the State in less than 12 hours after Class 10 results were announced by the Board of Secondary Education on Saturday.
A 16-year-old girl hailing from OD Cheruvu mandal in Sri Sathya Sai district and another 15-year-old girl from Paypili mandal in Nandyal district ended their lives after they failed to clear the SSC exam.
According to OD Cheuruvu sub-inspector Gopi, the 16-year-old, who studied at Kondakamarla Zilla Parishad school, was left dejected on not finding her name in the passed category.
She took the extreme step by hanging herself from the ceiling fan in her room. Likewise, another 15-year-old allegedly died by suicide at her residence after learning that she had secured only 26 marks in the mathematics paper.
The deceased was a student of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV). Two cases were registered soon after the incidents were reported.
Meanwhile, a 16-year-old student of Putluru mandal in Anantapur district attempted suicide after he secured 460 marks out of 600.
According to police, the boy was demoralised after the results were out. The minor allegedly tried to kill himself by consuming pesticide. However, his family members noticed and rushed him to the hospital. His health condition is stable.
The rise in student suicides after the announcement of board exam results —be it intermediate or SSC—has become a growing concern in the State. At least 10 inter students had died by suicide in less than 72 hours after Class 11 and 12 results were announced last week.
Don’t discourage children for poor show in SSC exams: Botcha to parents
Taking cognisance of the increasing student suicides, State education minister Botcha Satyanarayana advised parents to keep an eye on their children and urged them not to discourage them for scoring poor or failing the exam. The minister said students who were unable to clear the SSC examination must be encouraged to take up the advanced supplementary examination, which will be conducted from June 2 to 10.
He further went on to say that the government would conduct special classes for government school students at a few institutions across the districts. Speaking to TNIE, noted psychiatrist Dr Indla Rama Subba Reddy said parents should be more responsible than school management in preventing suicidal tendencies among their children, especially those appearing for Class 10 and intermediate exams.
“Parents have to develop a positive attitude towards their children’s performance in exams and help them turn failure into success,” he said and suggested that encouraging students to play games can help in inculcating sportsmanship.
“The government must think of different ways to promote recreation for the children apart from academics,” he added. Meanwhile, the president of the World Congress of Psychiatrists Professor B Govind Reddy opined that the decline in the culture of joint families in the State is one of the key reasons for an increase in suicidal tendencies among students.