A teenage girl in Beijing who tried to commit suicide was under emergency treatment on Sunday, after receiving a call from her school informing her that she had been dismissed, as reported by the Beijing Times on July 11.
The 16-year-old Shandong native was in the first year of vocal studies at a Beijing-based middle school attached to the China Conservatory. She was “persuaded to quit,” or rather given no option other than terminating her study, after failing over one third of her subjects this term.
In addition to the student above, seven other students also received notifications of dismissal. Three of them remain in their homes and four are currently missing.
Six of the parents wrote a joint letter to the school on Sunday in an attempt to extend their children’s instruction at the institution. Another mother whose daughter is missing told reporters that the eight students made a group agreement to commit suicide on Sunday. Some employees of the middle school have visited the hospital where the girl is being treated and have stated that the school would give a reply to the parents within ten days.
A teacher at the institution, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the school operates under strict management. “Some children are fragile and will react in an extreme manner to adverse news. The school has heard about the suicide plot and is taking steps to solve the problem.”
Zong Chunshan, the director of the Beijing Legal and Psychological Consulting Center for Minors, said that teenagers during puberty are emotionally unstable. When they are in a negative mood and perceive no way out of their troubles, they will go to extremes.
Zong also recommended that the school should look beyond academic records when considering students for dismissal. “Parents should focus more on communicating with their children and give them more moral support. At the same time, adolescents should keep a positive perspective on the future, which will give them more psychological endurance when faced with difficulties,” he added.
Global Times