Death of Primary 5 boy ruled “deliberate act of suicide” after failing exams for first time

Overwhelmed by the pressures of academic and parental expectations, an 11-year-old boy took his own life earlier this year.

A Primary 5 boy was found dead in his uniform at the foot of Block 470 along Fernvale Link in the hours before school began. Though it was initially unclear if it was an accident, State Coroner Marvin Bay determined that it was indeed a “deliberate act of suicide”, The Straits Times reported. He fell 17 floors from his bedroom window. 

The boy is believed to have taken his own life after he failed his exams for the first time — he scored 20.5 out of 100 for mathematics, and only 12 marks for his Higher Chinese exam. On the day of his death, he was supposed to bring home the exam papers to show his parents. He knew he would be punished, as his mother would cane the boy’s palm lightly if he failed to get an average of 70 marks for his subjects. 

In light of the tragic death that was driven by academic pressures, Bay urged parents and educators to constantly reassure children that “failures are transient or temporary events”. The boy, Bay said, appeared to have difficulty in coming to terms with the fall in his grades, and would rather take his own life than face the remainder of the day. 

“Parents and educators should also constantly reassure them that they will always be there to help the child through each stumble, winding turn and setback in their education journey,” he said. 



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