A 16-year-old Saraswati Vidya Niketan student committed suicide after he was expelled when teachers found out he was allegedly having a relationship with another teacher.
Alex Persaud of Lot 18 Stewartville, West Coast Demerara died at the Woodlands Hospital last Friday after he ingested poison. His father Harrynarine Persaud said he was shocked by the entire ordeal and how the school had handled the matter.
He said he was told that his son was allegedly involved in a relationship with a young female teacher, and when the school became aware of it they immediately expelled him and sent the teacher home.
He stated that he was not aware if the woman was fired or suspended. However, he said Alex had complained to him that the head teacher of the school had humiliated him in front of students and other teachers before sending him home.
All efforts to contact officials at the school yesterday were futile.
“This is madness how they treat the situation. I don’t need their money or their sympathy. What I need is this to be investigated,” Persaud said, adding that his son begged that he never wanted to go back to the school again.
Alex died four days after ingesting the poison. He was cremated on Monday.
The suicide comes in the wake of continuing concerns here about the high number of youths and others taking their lives. Based on 2012 figures, Guyana was classified by the World Health Organization as the country with the highest suicide rate.
