Besides focusing solely on academic excellence, Daniel Omara, The Fatboy Show presenter recommended that schools should also prioritize the mental health wellness of the learners.
During his discussion of suicide cases among secondary school students, the presenter noticed a pattern that may be a result of schools focusing more on academic performance than the mental well-being of students.
“Children’s brains are being warped not even by the school, but because they have a lot of things to deal with as teenagers, yet the schools aren’t helping with their mental health issues. The focus is around producing results and passing exams. Children are trained to pass exams but not how to deal with life, and it is something I realized back as a teacher,” he said.
“I think schools need to ease the focus on academic excellence because many think that the only way they can get more children enrolling is by showing parents that they are good at academics,” he added.
The proposal was made by Daniel as he addressed the unfortunate circumstances under which Denis Tuke, a senior six student at Bukoyo Secondary School in Iganga District, committed suicide on Wednesday by hanging himself using a mosquito net.
The deceased’s body was found hanging in the dormitory by fellow students after the school administration asked him to return home for fees balance amounting to 1.2 million shillings.
It is reported that the 20-year-old had mismanaged the money meant for the second and third terms, killing himself after the school sent him home to collect the balance. He died two weeks before the sitting of the Uganda National Examinations Board exams.
Similarly, a senior six learner at Trinity College Nabbingo, Jemimah Nabbona, committed suicide using a mosquito net after being allegedly dumped by her boyfriend. It is said that the girl who took her life last Saturday said she had been depressed since March this year after being rejected by her boyfriend.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive, and Sarah every weekday from 6 am to 10 am on RX Radio.