Hong Kong minister defends ‘no suicide’ pledge in school handbook in face of online ridicule
Scholar claims the promotion is a self-serving exercise by the government, but social workers say it could help pupils in certain circumstances
An Education Bureau handbook to help pupils in crisis that includes a “pledge” promising they will not commit suicide has been ridiculed online, but social workers say it could be effective in certain circumstances.
Chinese University scholar Simon Shen Xuhui ridiculed it as a ploy by the government to claim credit for tackling the problem.
“If 100,000 students signed the pledge and only ‘a few’ committed suicide ... that’s a great statistic for officials to quote when they want a promotion,” Shen wrote on Facebook.
The pledge takes the form of an annex in an 88-page handbook for schools dealing with issues such as depression. Students fill out the information and make a promise not to take their lives if they feel under pressure but instead call for help.
Some of the criticism about the pledge being a ploy to ‘claim credit’ is unprofessional and irresponsible
Education minister Eddie Ng Hak-kim criticised certain responses posted after the pledge went viral.