Nowshera incident: Student commits suicide after getting low grades
A 20-year-old student, Haris, committed suicide in the Kaka Sahib area of Nowshera district, after he failed to secure enough marks that could land him in a medical or engineering college.
“Haris wanted to become an engineer or a doctor,” his father Shahab Gul told police.
He had scored less than the desired marks in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) exam.
The lone brother of five sisters was extremely depressed by the results that were announced on July 19.
Gul told the police that he tried to console his son and urged him to take admission in the BA, “but he didn’t want to do BA. He wanted to become an engineer or a doctor,” the father added.
Sub inspector Jehanzeb Khan, in-charge of Nowshera Kalan police station, told The Express Tribune that the boy appeared to be under pressure to get higher grades for admission to a professional college.
“Haris shot himself with a pistol in his house on July 25,” he said.
Police believes that the boy committed suicide due to his parents’ anger at the result, Khan said.
Gul told the police that on the fateful evening, Haris said that he was going on the roof for a walk. “After sometime, I heard a gunshot. As I rushed to the roof, I saw Haris lying dead on the floor with a pistol in his hand,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2012.
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You hear of these types of incidents occurring in Western countries all the time but I'm told that student pressure is the worst in Japan, Korea and East Asian countries where many students commit suicide over bad marks. Shame that they just don;t keep trying or do something different.
Life is much much more than getting good grades, becoming a doctor or a president. I will solely put the blame on the individual as he was reluctant to drop the choices he had made up his mind. He had no choice but to take a different route or repeat the process of getting the "desired" grades. All choices have consequences.
This is quite sad but it is becoming quiet common not just in Pakistan but around the world including Canada/America where suicides occur. Many blame parents for the pressure they put but individuals have their own expectations as well. Unfortunate incident during Ramadan.
Education systems around the world need to be reformed on a high school & university level. I know many engineering students who entered on top of their class who failed a term or two whereas some of the lower-end students successfully completed their engineering programs.
I believe so much focus is given to final exams that student spends their entire time preparing for them and simply having a 'bad day' can result in lower marks for a subject.
Parents need to tell their kids from the start that they are free to study whatever they please & don't have to follow a certain crowd or tradition. Students need to chill out on aiming for Engineering & Medicine. There are some BA graduates who earn more than engineers & engineering starting salaries around the world aren't that much higher than some BA.
Thoughts with the family...