Delhi Minister Invokes Lincoln As Student Suicide Puts School Under Scrutiny

Days after a Class 10 student died by suicide at a metro station, Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood issued a strongly-worded letter to the principal of St Columba's School, questioning the school's emotional safety ecosystem and urging urgent reforms.

Writing "not just as a minister but as a concerned parent", Sood cited former US President Abraham Lincoln's historic letter to his son's teacher, stressing the need to educate children with "both strength and gentleness" and to teach them to "listen to all men". He said the death of the student was a "heartbreaking wake-up call" for Delhi's education system.

The minister acknowledged that academic pressure on students is at an all-time high and urged schools to move beyond a multitude of rules to provide emotional security and be attentive and secure towards students. He said this is imperative to boost the confidence of students.

Sood said systems should be in place to identify stress among students, while teachers too need to be trained to understand psychological needs. He termed the student's death a "heartbreaking wake-up call", adding that no child should feel unheard or unseen. He stressed that schools must nurture emotional well-being along with academics.

Sood assured that the Delhi government will work with both public and private schools to strengthen mental health frameworks, counselling infrastructure, and teacher-training initiatives. He has also sought a detailed report from the school on its internal review and the support it may require from the government.

The 16-year-old student of St Columba's School, who wanted to be "the next Shah Rukh Khan", jumped from the platform of Rajendra Place Metro Station on November 18, following months of alleged harassment by his teachers. It has been alleged that on the day of the tragic incident, he was "mocked" and humiliated by a teacher for "overacting" after he slipped and fell.

Parents Voice Anger, Demand Accountability

The student's death sparked outrage, with many protesting outside the gates of St Columba's School. A parent Zeba said, "I want all the teachers to be thrown out of the institution and not carry on with this profession as they might continue to do the same things wherever they join. They have just been suspended. As a mother of a child studying in the same school, the morning routine of sending my child will not feel the same till the time these teachers are punished."

Another parent Madhuri said that the school that holds elaborate festivities during Christmas did not even observe two minutes of silence for the dead student.

Kartik Seth, whose child studies at Noida's Lotus Valley International School, said the issue reflects a wider pattern of pressure in schools. "The school was pressurising me to take a transfer certificate for him. He had suicidal thoughts. The arrest of the four teachers (accused of mentally harassing the St Columba's student) will set an example," he said.