I refer to the article, “Is anyone listening? Hong Kong educators and counsellors call for more attention to rising student suicide rates” (December 29).

When I was a student, youngsters could explore life in school, developing their interests and personalities. We grew up happy. But not any more, it seems. These days, school seems to be a centre of depression. Mental health issues, sometimes leading to suicide attempts or worse, are too common. However, it is naive to assume a series of counselling sessions or mental health workshops can change the picture.

Who can blame the youngsters? They just do not have the environment to grow up happy. The grading system continues to be competitive; parents are demanding and often unsympathetic; the curriculum is inflexible; some peers are confrontational; teachers are under great pressure themselves, the list of negative factors goes on (“How to save Hong Kong’s education system: help our teachers”, December 30).