boy commit suicide over CCA matters
-
Boy jumped over CCA15-year-old wanted a switch but parents tried to dissuade him
By Elena Chong, Courts Correspondent A 15-YEAR-OLD jumped from the 11th-floor bedroom window of his home - in front of his mother - after a disagreement with his parents over his intention to switch his co-curricular activity (CCA) in school.Tan Wen Yi had wanted to switch from track-and-field to drama but his parents were against it.
Up till then, no one would have thought Wen Yi as a troubled or even self-destructive sort. The Secondary 3 student of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) was described as cheerful and was well-liked by his classmates and respectful towards his teachers, the Coroner's Court heard yesterday.A police investigation report presented in court said that on Feb 13 this year, Wen Yi skipped track-and-field training to play football. He was caught by his track teacher and questioned.
He later complained to his classmate that he had been dealt track training sessions four times a week as punishment; he also said he was going to die, but his classmate assumed he was joking.
On their way home in the same bus, Wen Yi was cracking jokes and did not appear depressed.
Staff Sergeant Raymond Chng of the Tanglin Police Division said in his investigation report that Wen Yi's mother received a call from the track teacher that afternoon about her son's ditching his training for football. The teacher, Mr Ng Yeong Joo, 38, who had been told that Wen Yi wanted to switch to drama, told the teen's mother to advise him against it.
That evening, in a talk with his parents in their Stevens Road condo home over the matter, Wen Yi said he had lost his inspiration to run and insisted on the switch.
His parents tried to talk him out of it, but he refused to listen.
He then announced that he had planned to make the switch the following month, 'but I am going to do it now'. He headed for his bedroom, followed by his mother, who sensed something amiss. Before her eyes, he walked up to the window, opened the blinds, climbed onto the ledge, pushed the window open and jumped out. She rushed forward but was too late.
Staff Sgt Chng said that a day before, Wen Yi had sent a classmate a text message in which he said he was going to commit a crime - jump off a building as a 'final feat of rebellion' and let his craziness be known to the world. 'Will you as a friend accompany me on this day?' he had asked.
When he took up track-and- field in 2006, his attendance was irregular, but he blossomed into a medal-winner last year.
His parents were not in court yesterday. Asked why by State Counsel Lee Cheow Han, Staff Sgt Chng said the couple have gone overseas to forget what had happened. They have another child, a girl aged 10.
State Coroner Earnest Lau recorded a verdict of suicide.
-
All this over the CCA? It is so sad.
-
I think there could have been other issues brewing but the CCA thing was the last straw? Perhaps the boy felt unhappy over his parents making every decision for him or something. we'll never know.
-
I wonder why they do not want to let him switch CCA.
-
Originally posted by cherrycola:
I wonder why they do not want to let him switch CCA.
maybe they feel drama is too sissy for a boy, or suspect him to be gay -
Originally posted by skythewood:
maybe they feel drama is too sissy for a boy, or suspect him to be gayDon't anyhow talk
-
*Sit down shake leg wait for complaints on CCA policies*
-
sad ... very sad ...
-
Originally posted by eagle:
*Sit down shake leg wait for complaints on CCA policies*
simi policy.. it's the parents who didn't let him change -
Originally posted by Beautiful951:
Don't anyhow talk
why not.
-
Originally posted by the Bear:
simi policy.. it's the parents who didn't let him change
You would let him change if your the parent? -
so sad....
-
Originally posted by skythewood:
why not.
Don't talk about the spirit world. -
Originally posted by the Bear:
simi policy.. it's the parents who didn't let him changeThey did it at the behest of the teacher, who was probably thinking about the medals.
-
Originally posted by Beautiful951:
Don't talk about the spirit world.............
-
oi what .....
I would not have spoken about it if I did not feel the need to warn you.
-
Originally posted by Beautiful951:
You would let him change if your the parent?
it's a fucking CCA.. or whatever the hell it is..it's just whatever the hell the child likes to do outside the classroom..
he wants to go and run like a maniac on a track, or he wants to go sing his head off, swim around the pool, hurl a heavy ball down an alley, whatever.. as long as he enjoys himself and keeps out of trouble..
got a feeling the fucking parent calculated that winning a medal in athletics = higher dunno wtf points so must inflict it on the child instead of letting the child do what interest him..
either way, to be a barbarian about it, it's darwinism at work
-
Originally posted by the Bear:
simi policy.. it's the parents who didn't let him changehow I know which policy... Somehow some people will be able to "correlate" one...
So wait only lor
-
CCAs don't count anymore for university admission, right?
-
Originally posted by Kuali Baba:
CCAs don't count anymore for university admission, right?
It never counted for uni admission -
Originally posted by the Bear:
it's a fucking CCA.. or whatever the hell it is..it's just whatever the hell the child likes to do outside the classroom..
he wants to go and run like a maniac on a track, or he wants to go sing his head off, swim around the pool, hurl a heavy ball down an alley, whatever.. as long as he enjoys himself and keeps out of trouble..
got a feeling the fucking parent calculated that winning a medal in athletics = higher dunno wtf points so must inflict it on the child instead of letting the child do what interest him..
either way, to be a barbarian about it, it's darwinism at work
I don't know. Its said that the school asked the parent to discourage him. -
its very selfish of him to do that to his mother.
she has to live with regrets for the rest of her life.
-
this is not sad, it is stupidly hilarious.
if you're not happy, move out, earn your own living and you can do whatever you want. kill yourself just because your parents (who gave you life) does not want you to change CCA??
what's wrong with Singaporean kids nowadays? our fore fathers used to slog like hell just to make a decent meal a day.
I remember one incident when a new Navy recruit threaten to kill himself and jump overboard.. while the ship is in harbor; and with a life-jacket on.. geeze.. if this world is without law, these people would be the first to die...
btw.. CCA counts for admission to JC.
-
Originally posted by anonymous_dickhead:
this is not sad, it is stupidly hilarious.
if you're not happy, move out, earn your own living and you can do whatever you want. kill yourself just because your parents (who gave you life) does not want you to change CCA??
what's wrong with Singaporean kids nowadays? our fore fathers used to slog like hell just to make a decent meal a day.
I remember one incident when a new Navy recruit threaten to kill himself and jump overboard.. while the ship is in harbor; and with a life-jacket on.. geeze.. if this world is without law, these people would be the first to die...
btw.. CCA counts for admission to JC.
But it does not. When I collected my results 2 years ago, they did say that CCA points works for poly but no uni.
-
Originally posted by Beautiful951:
You would let him change if your the parent?Why not?