The emotional wellbeing of schoolchildren has come under the spotlight after the apparent suicide by two pupils from different schools on the same day.
The first occurred on Monday at the Soshanguve secure centre where a grade 10 pupil was found hanging in a dormitory during a lunch break.
According to Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona, the boy had been taken to the juvenile centre two weeks ago while he awaits trial.
“In a separate incident, a grade 9 boy from Kgetse-Ya-Tsie Secondary School [in Temba] tragically took his own life at home on the same day. Our psychosocial support unit will be dispatched to provide assistance in both instances,” he said.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said: “These incidents serve as a grim reminder that the emotional wellbeing of learners is a shared responsibility that requires immediate attention from all of us.
Shock as two Gauteng pupils allegedly commit suicide on the same day
Image: paylessimages/123RF
The emotional wellbeing of schoolchildren has come under the spotlight after the apparent suicide by two pupils from different schools on the same day.
The first occurred on Monday at the Soshanguve secure centre where a grade 10 pupil was found hanging in a dormitory during a lunch break.
According to Gauteng department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona, the boy had been taken to the juvenile centre two weeks ago while he awaits trial.
“In a separate incident, a grade 9 boy from Kgetse-Ya-Tsie Secondary School [in Temba] tragically took his own life at home on the same day. Our psychosocial support unit will be dispatched to provide assistance in both instances,” he said.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said: “These incidents serve as a grim reminder that the emotional wellbeing of learners is a shared responsibility that requires immediate attention from all of us.
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“As we mourn the loss of young lives, there is a growing determination to prevent future tragedies and to foster a culture of support, compassion and understanding within the educational community. We wish to extend our condolences to families and school communities.”
These deaths come barely two months after those of two Ekurhuleni pupils who allegedly committed suicide within days of each other — a grade 8 girl from Geluksdal Secondary School in Brakpan on June 29 and the second a grade 12 girl from Nigel High School on July 4. The department said according to information they took poison.
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