An important question, especially in some countries and cultures, is that the number of suicides for failure in studies is significantly higher than in others.

True. How do we address the issue of suicide from a public policy perspective? Are there policies that the government needs to implement to mitigate the issue?

This is true in Indian context. Education is very exam-oriented and there is tough competition among students who have to secure seats in professional as well as non- programmes. This selection takes place after class XII. The significant others tend to glorify some jobs which further increases distress in students, where there is neck and neck competition. Unable to get support in times of crisis, often leads to The mistake of committing suicide. Unfortunately, this is not the part of public policy, though it should be. As per the Indian government policy for schools, counsellor is mandatory in every school. The mental health awareness movement in India has helped the schools, caregivers and students to discuss and find ways to cope in such times of distress. But a concerted effort is required from all those who are a part of the child’s educational ecosystem.

It is so sad to see something like education that is supposed to help humanity, creating a system that depress students to the point of suicide.

Like in other domains, the root lies in the selfishness of the one that are in the position of power in the system.

The question is if we can chance people that lead systems?

Short term solution: In my opinion, organizing the students in teams, no matter on what type of discipline or subject's exams, (something like in debating contest teams), and the purpose will be to succeed or fail together as a team.

A lot of life great values can be learned together, and in case of a great failure, the loss is proportionally divided and carried by all the team members. The biggest advantage will be that already students have in place a support relationship resource, that will have a high chance to keep students away from the suicide's ultimate life failure "exam".

We can add a coach to the team, a teacher, that will guide the students' team, providing a holistic support, before exam in preparation, and after the exam too.

Utopian solution?

I like to challenge you for finding a better one. :) Bring it on!

Life of students, our children, are in the line of "fire".

Julien Ghitescu Could you post some robust empirical evidence or scientific research in support of your solution? I am not suggesting that you are incorrect, but is your solution based on armchair speculation in the comfort of your office, which is the typical approach of most academics that are based in the capitals of major countries, or is it based on data and information from the field?

Very important topic! Thank you for raising it up.

The armchair one is a really good one! :)))

I like it!

I see now, ... all need to be scientific...

I am a football coach and I work with teams of children, students.

Parallels can be made.

I believe all big discoveries started from an simple idea, here it was my contribution.

I am looking forward to see a solution, I hope you can reach one, because it is worthy. Saving a life it is more precious than all the academic titles, and the pride of educational system.

Identify the changes in behaviour of suspected students ,give moral support and one failure doesn't mean end of further life . there are so many examples of persons failed in one field but excelled in other i.e. lata Mangeshkar could not succeed as actress but nobody can perform like her in singing

Here's today's news https://many-news.com/164791-v-cheboksarax-na-ege-po-matematike-umerla-shkolnica-full.html - In Cheboksary on the exam died schoolgirl

I want to ask: What is the exam for, if there is a chance that this exam will lead to death or suicide? I do not ask about exams in general, for example, to get a status in the service, but I ask about exams for children or young people with a weak psyche and an unformed organism. I would cancel all exams, because it gives rise to a lot of negativity, such as: corruption, stress, suicides and other negative phenomena. However, I would suggest making distance learning for those who did not score the required number of points in order to enroll in a limited number of places in groups for training in the university classroom. There is a third way - it is self-study on the program of the university and then passing an external exam to get a diploma. This way seems to me the best and most reliable, because real knowledge is not acquired at lectures of famous professors, however, as a result of hard work with the aim of solving a large number of teaching examples from books. There are so many lecture videos on the Internet, many books for self-study. I believe that it is not necessary to go to university in order to acquire real knowledge and students should understand this. In addition, we now live in an era of total globalization, when the level of education drops sharply all over the world and this means only one thing: Self-education is the only way to make yourself a specialist. If children and young people knew about this, they would never agree to take exams. It's my personal opinion.

As much as possible, we should propose solutions to social problems by referencing robust, unbiased, neutral, objective and scientific evidence and research. Otherwise we will have endless debate, with no result and no progress.

Suppose we ask 10 persons on RG about the best way to solve homelessness. We may get 20 solutions. How do we select the best and most effective solutions? We could use seniority. We adopt the ideas of the most senior members. Or the person whose writings in English is the best, even though their ideas are quite mediocre.

Another approach is to select the most effective solution based on the best available scientist evidence and research.

I humbly request that those who propose solutions should also provide references to scientific research that supports their solutions. Otherwise, we have all the armchair professionals, sitting in the comfort of their air-conditioned offices in the capital cities, proposing all sorts of solutions, based on sophisticated speculations, when in fact, they have no idea about the real situation on the ground in the remote areas.

I humbly request you in this regard. Please do the needful.

My bad, forgive me, I misunderstood the question, or the purpose of discussion.

In the question it is not mentioned any scientific proof "need",

it is just a simple question.

I hope somebody did this type of research and can provide the results,

if not, we are back to square one, where we collect simple ideas and we go out and try it, test it, and form scientific solutions in the end.

So, if this is the case, somebody needs to be the first one to do it.

Since, you are in the search for answers, and have a passion for it,

will be a good "time" for you to also leave the armchair. :)

Julien Ghitescu

You are 100% right. The question was for a simple discussion and did not ask for scientific proof. However, if you are giving suggestions, I think it would be good if the suggestions are robust and effective based on scientific research. Otherwise, as I mentioned earlier, there are too many “armchair experts” absolutely no shortage with many ideas. How do we know that these ideas will work? Do you provide any guarantee? Why should I trust your ideas? Suppose I follow and implement your “crazy” ideas and they do not work as you suggest can I come and blame you and will you take responsibility? Please tell me. Give such advice is a serious responsibility and should not be taken lightly. It is very easy for experts to give LOTS of advice because they are not responsible. If we make the experts responsible for the outcome, then we can really see the real honest experts from the fake ones.

Well if is just a discussion, I am in it. :)

You are also 100% right.

If you are not testing (not implementing yet) my idea, must be another one that at some point you will need to.

If I will test my idea, will be equally crazy.

So, doesn't matter who tries it, it can be crazy any way.

If I will receive 20 ideas (not sure if yet in this discussion were mentioned more than couple?), I will need to personally decide which ones I will want to start to test. Some may sound wise, but I may go with the one that I "feel" it is "calling me in", driving me in, with passion and curiosity.

Can the science explain my choice at this stage? Does it need to be scientifically sound?

At this stage doesn't matter for me, because it is better to start trying out possible solutions, than wait till I am sure I hold the right one ready for try.

So, the more you may encourage fellows to shoot any "crazy" ideas regarding the subject, and the more you collect of it, the greater the chance for you in the end to choose freely the ones that are worthy to be given a shoot.

I believe together we are having more chances to succeed.

I appreciate you for opening the road in this direction of studies,

a noble cause, to save lives.

I am cheering up for you, personally I wish I was in a position to test ideas in this direction, but I can just share what I learned from coaching football (soccer), and how we dealt with loses as a team.

Another field that can be explored related to the discussion, it is connected with psychology and counseling, and revealing the ways that young people can deal with high stress, pain, or losses. To end up the message in "glory" :) I guess part of the solution, also in these cases, it is connected to the power of relationships, and the support of others for the ones that suffers. Which form/ model works the best in your study needs to be discovered.

Academics is like fashion, very fickle. It changes with the weather.

If I am a professor with zero new ideas, how do I get promotion? I must have plenty of ideas each semester so that I can apply for money to do research.

There is ZERO harm in writing and talking about all my great ideas because I have zero responsibility.

In any other profession, we would not pay them if the ideas did not work. Imagine, you go to a doctor, and she provides a diagnosis, and it does not work. Would you go again? But in many social sciences, the scientist will answer. Okay, that idea did not work; now let’s try another new improved idea.

If I had the solution implemented and working, I will happily gave it and share it.

I think the expectations are very high.

Let's not forget that the doctors you mentioned in the example,

started from the same place we may be right now, from "ZERO".

Where they arrived at this point in time, it is the benefit they had from the small ideas, steps, failures, and success of the previous doctors in the history of medicine.

So, if we start from zero, it is good we are starting, because in time,

we can achieve more than now.

Wish you better teammates to help you in your quest,

and also more willingness and openness to the solution that comes from an unexpected angle, or from an unexpected place.

Some discoveries have not been always the result of science, but the result of error, luck, a vision, or even a "miracle". I think we need all of these "ways" if possible to partner together.

In Romania, we have a way of saying, that "talking to much time, will lead us to a poor financial situation". (not much time for work) :))))

So, I will give to honor for other fellows to continue to contribute to your project, I think I said enough. Be blessed!