XN000022-1992-01-14 — Page 3

2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1992

YOUTH COMMISSION SUGGESTS MEASURES

TO COUNTER STUDENT SUICIDES

*

STRENGTHENED FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION, BETTER COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN AS WELL AS REINFORCED STUDENT GUIDANCE PROGRAMMES CAN HELP COUNTER THE RECENT SPATE OF SUICIDES.

STUDENT

ON

THIS WAS A GENERAL CONSENSUS REACHED BY THE COMMISSION YOUTH FOLLOWING A RECENT MEETING WHERE IT WAS BRIEFED ON MEASURES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION, MR ERIC LI, NOTED TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THEY HAD BEEN INFORMED DURING THE MEETING THAT THERE WERE 35 CASES OF ATTEMPTED SUICIDES BY STUDENTS IN THE 1990/91 ACADEMIC YEAR.

"THE CAUSE OF SUCH ATTEMPTS IN 16 CASES CAN BE POOR FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS, AND SIX OTHERS, TO SAID.

"THIS IS AN AREA OF CONCERN. BETTER PARENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN SHOULD BE PROMOTED.

SCHOOL

ATTRIBUTED ΤΟ PROBLEMS, HE

COMMUNICATION

14

BETWEEN

"WHAT WE HAVE ARE FIRST GENERATION HONG KONG PARENTS WHO HAVE NEITHER ADHERED TO TRADITIONAL PROTECTIVE CHINESE APPROACH IN BRINGING UP THEIR CHILDREN, NOR HAVE THEY ADOPTED THE WESTERN 'COMMUNICATION-ORIENTED' APPROACH IN FULL.

AND

"THIS COULD HAVE LED TO COMMUNICATION GAPS BETWEEN PARENTS THEIR CHILDREN WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE MAY FEEL THAT THEIR PARENTS HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM ADEQUATE ATTENTION AND SUPPORT," HE SAID.

-

MR LI FELT THAT THERE WAS NO REAL SUBSTITUTE FOR AND CONCERN OF PARENTS TOWARDS THEIR CHILDREN.

FAMILY

AND

"HOWEVER, YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD ALSO BE ENCOURAGED THEIR FEELINGS, CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS RESPONSIBILITIES AND HENCE THROUGH ACTIVE POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE VALUE OF LIFE,

=

■

GREATER CARE

PARTICIPATION

HE SAID.

TO EXPRESS

COMMUNITY DEVELOP A

IT WAS NOTED THAT YOUTH IS A CRITICAL TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT A TIME OF LIFE FOR SEARCH OF SELF-IDENTITY, THE DEVELOPMENT OF ABILITIES AND ACQUIREMENT OF SKILLS. YOUNG PEOPLE WILL ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS AT THIS CRITICAL PERIOD AND APPROPRIATE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE ARE NEEDED.

THE COMMISSION ALSO NOTED THAT THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAD ADOPTED CERTAIN MEASURES TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM.

"APART FROM ORGANISING SEMINARS AND ISSUING A RESOURCES HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS TO HELP THEM HANDLE STUDENTS WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS, A TRIPARTITE MEETING WITH THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICES WAS ALSO ORGANISED.

AND

/"PROMOTING BETTER