In order to prevent suicides among school-going children and teen-agers, students participating in an anti-suicide seminar at the Government Arts College in Coimbatore opined that psychology should be taught in schools. The event was organised in the college as part of the World Suicide Prevention Day.

The suggestion was first given by C. Karthikeyan, a student of psychology in the college. He said that since instances of suicide among school students were on the rise, it was essential that the thought must be prevented at school level.

“The Government should make sure that all students at school level study psychology and counselling centres be set up in schools,” he said.

Speaking at the seminar, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, founder of Sky Track Counselling Centre and an alumnus of the college, advised the students to help their friends and provide emotional support. Terming suicides as a disease in society, he also emphasised on the importance of psychology in the prevention of suicide.

Earlier, retired DIG of Prisons of Coimbatore, P. Govindarajan shared his experiences of handling prisoners. An empirical study helped them successfully eradicate suicide in prisons, in 2009. “At first, there were more than five suicides each year. After we began giving them counselling, the suicides stopped completely,” he said.

The students of the college staged a play highlighting the role of parents in preventing suicides. They also exchanged suicide awareness ribbons with their college mates.