I AM writing in response to the article, 'Boy leapt to his death over CCA' (Nov 27).

I was appalled and deeply saddened by his actions. Behind his cheerful disposition, no one had any inkling of the turmoil in his mind.

It was a senseless act that led to a loss of life over such a trivial issue as co-curricular activities (CCA). All he wanted was to pursue his interest and for his wish to be respected. He had said 'he had lost inspiration to run and insisted on the switch'. Although this was what was said, there could have been other underlying reasons.

But all that should have mattered was respecting his wish and giving him the necessary support. Every child has a voice that should be heard and his wishes should be respected. I cannot imagine any troubled child wanting to speak to a stranger over the phone about his problems, when those close to him fail to understand his problems.

I hope no other child will resort to such drastic measures. Instead of waiting for troubled children to seek help, help should be sent to them via regular talks at schools by organisations such as the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

Samuel Wittberger

This article was first published in The Straits Times on December 5, 2008.