who's to blame?

time: 9pm

With A level results being released soon, you would think that every uni will jump at the chance to gain as much publicity as possible. Well, i guess n*tu succeeded, for all the wrong reasons.

I didnt even need to be at school to hear of what happened. Pple were talking about it everywhere, online, offline, via sms, over the radio. This morning at work, I heard various small groups talking about it. Today, my HR director talked to me. The moment she heard which school I was from, the topic came up again.

And as expected, the issue on student welfare came out. Who is to blamed for the breakdown, for the stabbing and the death? Now pple are questioning the welfare, student counselling and attentiveness of lecturers to their students. Honestly...do we have to point fingers?

We are no longer children, no longer in school to be cared for, nurtured and babysat. We are, (unfortunately or not) adults responsible for ourselves. There are no more meet the parents day, report cards or standing-against -the-wall punishments. No more reminders to meet your school's dental or prefects standing around during lunch time to make sure you behave.

I dont side the school, but I do remember all the emails sent by the student counselling centre. I also know that it takes alot of guts to admit that you are emotionally or mentally unstable. How many people will actually walk in to seek help or advice. And in a school with thousands of students, how can we successfully manage such cases? Have nurses with "WE CARE" badges walking around looking for signs of potentially depressed students? Sigh...i doubt that will be happening anytime soon.

Thinking abt the guy who broke down in hall kind of reminds me of how a extremely trivial matter can bring one to their breaking point. And he was totally unexpected as well. One day he was fine, the next, campus security had to get him out. Its scary really, how no one could see it coming.

Thats why, realistically, I will not depend on the school to be my support on trying times. Its is, but an institution, not a person. And while I dun mean to dehumanise it, but I think when I'm at my lowest, it is the pple around you who will be that extra support. People who love me and whom i love, and will forever be grateful for.

And maybe, if he had someone close to be with him, if he had been more open to those who care......all this wouldnt have happened.

I feel sorry for his parents for losing their son, and for the the prof who got hurt. But more than anything else, I feel sorry for a young life that could have had so much more.