SCHOOLBOY SUICIDES

Evening Star, Issue 15537, 6 July 1914, Page 4

SCHOOLBOY SUICIDES

FEARING FAILURES AT EXAMS

According to the Berlin correspondent of the ' Chicaso Tribune,' the recent examinations at the- Genun schools were again, as each year, ace.j.npamVd with numerous instances of boys killing themselves, either through tear tlwt. they would not pass or because of mortification ax failure. On a sinsle day three micities of students, all less than 18 years old, were reported, and tlin body of one who bed drowned himself eoiue days earlier was recovered. These instances were in Greater Berlin alone. One of the boys threw himself in front- of a train because lie bad not been promoted tc u hieher ela*s. A suicide by drownuifr was. that of a 17-i ear-old boy who was shortlv to trv the examination entitling- bint io discharge" his military duties with one year's service. According to bis teacher?. th»re was no doubt that he would have passed, as he was unusually capable and intelligent. ~ —Failure is Serious Handicap.— The fixed bureaucratic scheme of life for the average German, while not explaining such suicides, throws some light on the youths' actions. Failure to be graduated from school is a serious thing. To beconie a "Beamter"—that is, a public official—is the goal of a great percentage of young German*, for the official enjoys many privileges not granted to tbe non-official German. _ He bus a certain tenure, a retiring pension, and other material advantages, and enjoys especial protection under the law of insults, it being a much graver crime to insult an official than a private citizen. But for thoso who have failed in their school work there ii no chance to become State officials. —Bar to Great Positions.— Kven in private life they find it. almost j impossiblo to secure responsible positions I with mercantile firms, and they are, of course, 'dcbarre-l from entering the learned professions. It is not altogether strange thai, the German youth is disposed to take a. gravo view of his failure. It is not only students in the schools who kill themselves"before or after examination?. A mau of 22, who had been studying legal procedure, reached the point where he was to take his examination for advanceraent to court clerk. He repeatedly told his friends that he vrsa sure lis should not pass the exI amination. The night before the examinuj tion he threw himself from the window of I his third-story roont, and was crushed to | death. ____________