http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/11Jun2008_news22.php
Wednesday June 11, 2008
COMMENTARY
A need for counselling on the campus
PLOENPOTE ATTHAKOR
At the young age of 22, Chaninart Rungthiwasuwan, a fourth-year student of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Science, had a bright future before her. The student had dreams to follow and hopes to fulfil.
That was until the morning of Monday, June 9, before she decided to take her own life by jumping from a building in the university compound. An eyewitness said the girl had a sad look on her face.
Initially, police linked stress and depression from study as the cause of her suicide.
With a bronze medal in the Academic Olympics chemistry competition to her credit, Chaninart had all along possessed an excellent academic record - her GPA was in the range of 3.8-3.9.
But it had been deteriorating since she was in her third year.
Her family has no doubts that it was education-related stress that drove the girl to take her own life. Her death must be a heavy blow to the family, which had recognised the girl's depression and sent her for mental treatment at Chulalongkorn Hospital. In fact, the girl's condition had improved though she was still on medication. Yet, sadly, Chaninart appears to have lost the will to fight.
The student's premature death should strike an alarm about education-related stress, which is not uncommon for students with outstanding academic records. Naturally, young people in this group are under pressure to maintain academic excellence in a highly competitive environment whether in school or university. While they are good at making grades, many in this group are too emotionally-fragile to deal with failure. Also in the at-risk group are students taking entrance examinations for a seat in university..."