Victorian mother horrified after school tells son to write a suicide note

A Victorian mother was horrified to find out her son had been asked to write a suicide note at school.

Rebecca told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell her 16-year-old son had to write the note as a creative writing exercise in an English class this week.

“They read a book, Jasper Jones,” she said.

“They had to write a suicide letter to Jasper Jones regarding how they were going to die, why they were dying and what the reasons where; why they wanted to die and no longer live.”

Rebecca said she “felt sick” when her son told her about the task he had completed at school.

“I lost my nephew last year to suicide and it’s broken my whole family apart,” she said.

“As a parent I would like to know if this is something my child is doing at school, because I actually would have preferred him not to do that.

“He actually suffers from depression himself, and has medication, and he sees a psychiatrist.”

Rebecca has not yet contacted the school, as her son has pleaded with her not to.

But she wants the task removed from the school curriculum.

“I don’t think that any child should learn how to write a suicide note,” she said.

3AW’s Tony Shaw, who lost his brother to suicide, urged Rebecca to contact the school.

“You cannot allow that to be done in a classroom. It is unbelievable,” he said.

“I think it’s got to be pulled.”

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Image: SW Productions