Parents blame school for son’s suicide

Parents and relatives of a 15-year-old boy who committed suicide picketed a school in Haidian district Monday to protest his treatment by teachers, which they allege was the reason why the boy, only named as Xiaolin, jumped to his death from his home on Saturday.　

Several of the boy's relatives stood at the entrance of Beijing Foreign Languages School around 5 pm holding a funeral wreath and banners reading "seeking justice for my son," according to the Legal Mirror Tuesday.

The school had called his parents to take him home on Saturday, the first day of term. He was supposed to have boarded at the school.　

"He went to school happily on Saturday morning, but we took home a boy who kept crying," a relative told the Legal Mirror.　

Xiaolin refused to talk about what had happened, apart from claiming a teacher had criticized him. That evening, he committed suicide.　

Xiaolin's parents believe the tragedy stemmed from the teacher's treatment of the boy, alleging the teacher "used an improper way to educate Xiaolin," the report said.

The school told the Global Times Tuesday they are actively dealing with the issue by communicating with the parents.

"The headmaster talked with the boy's parents today and they are emotionally stable. Our school has made a final decision about this incident, and reached a consensus with the parents," a teacher surnamed Meng from the school administration office said. She refused to reveal any details of the agreement.

She also refuted a rumor posted on a Sina microblog alleging that a female pupil at the school tried to kill herself in the same way but survived and was sent to hospital.　

"This girl kept crying and was in a low mood, but she never committed suicide. It's a rumor," she said.

Yu Lixin, a lawyer from a local law firm, said that although the parents deserve sympathy, blocking the school gates may have violated the Penalty Law of Public Security Management.

"If the parents believe that the school's improper education resulted in the tragedy, they can claim compensation from the school, or file a lawsuit against it," he said.

On August 27, a 12-year-old girl jumped from her home in Daxing district after her parents slapped her for allegedly stealing 1,000 yuan ($158).

"Both school and parents should engage in active communication with children who exhibit signs of having an unstable mental state," said Zong Chunshan, an expert on juvenile crime and rehabilitation.

"Parents put too much pressure on children, ignoring their mental health. They tend to criticize them for failures at school, instead of encouraging them," he said.