Headteacher's suicide

[chattykathy]

I haven't seen any reporting of this nationally. Word has it that the local authority had withdrawn the support she was receiving because of the cut backs. I think this needs to be raised in the House of Commons and Michael Gove be made to face the music. Schools and their Headteachers are under tremendous pressure with less and less support than ever. Poor woman and her poor family.

[phleb]

our headteacher manages 2 schools, she always has a smile, but we don't really know how she feels about the pressures of managaing two schools...i feel for them, work more for less.

[chattykathy]

Sorry I meant to add this

http://www.kiddermins...acher_s_death/?ref=rl

[starone]

How awful. I have always thought that the pressures must be tremendous in any walk of life for there to be no way out but suicide. I like living and have never been in such a stress situation. Do not misunderstand, I have had a few tragedies, my life has not been easy, but I have never felt like taking my own life nor anyone else's for that matter. To me life is precious and should be used to the best of your ability, which is why I find this a complete tragedy for her and for her family.

[plautus]

Sorry, but I don't buy any of this. If the job is such that you can no longer carry on then you have two choices:

1. Resign

2. Seek early retirement on medical grounds.

Been there...&c

[lcg]

it has been over the last couple of days. certainly here:
http://www.dailymail....43-hanged-office.html

[chattykathy]

Ah, if only life was that simple. plautus and everyone was as resilient as you ...

[lcg]

platus....mental health problems don't discriminate between people, it happens to anyone. do you think only the rational, intelligent or better class of individual is able to deal with it 'properly'? that shows how narrow minded and bigoted you are....on my psych ward, we treat people who have phd's; are doctors/nurses themselves; and wealthy, well-read, upper class bods who go nuts. most of the time, it creeps up on you insidiously....then there is a tipping point and: boom....you're completely bonkers and you don't have any insight to your mental health, risks and need to be in a nuthouse (i can say these things because i am completely mad as well). mental health isn't a choice or punishment - those ideas engender the stigma surrounding mental health and ignorance of people's needs. and, perfectly rational people kill themselves - you don't have to be nuts to do that either.....

[askyourgran]

That is really sad, it's hard to believe that she could do that at the school. It's easy to say that plautus, but if you love the job you are doing and can't find a way to ask for help, she would feel a failure, no-one knows what she was thinking at the time. She'd only been there a few months. I'm, sorry for her family.

[lcg]

ayg...she didn't 'choose' to do that to the school...that implies she is/was selfish. she did it because she couldn't stand life for one more second. that is a tragedy and the school is very irrelevant.

[Ellipsis]

Much though I can't stand Gove and many of his policies, you can't blame him for this.

The fact(?) that the local authority had withdrawn her school's support is no reason to kill herself - otherwise there'd be a lot more of it going on!

[ummmm]

The straw that broke the camels back.

[lcg]

wasn't blaming gove or the education authority in anyway....unless she was completely unsupported by them and they were aware of her problems ((and nobody knows that yet). what comment has prompted you to say that? confused

[Ellipsis]

The OP :)

[lcg]

sorry, i thought that comment was for me! apologies....i have had a lot of medication) x

[Ellipsis]

No problem ...

[jake-the-peg]

The sad fact of the matter is that a lot of suicides run in families this isn't all that surprising when you consider that 25-50% of people with bipolar disorder (manic depression) attempt suicide.

Whilst pressure and other external factors play a part too many people are vulnerable to suicide in the same way that others are vulnerable to heart disease or cancer.

I hope you wouldn't be holding Michael Gove personally responsible if she'd had a heart attack.

I think we need to change the way we think about suicide in this country and try and identify people at risk more ant target mental health resources at them

[LeMarchand]

//our headteacher manages 2 schools, she always has a smile, but we don't really know how she feels about the pressures of managaing two schools...i feel for them, work more for less. //

I think you'll find that they get a fairly big pay rise for the duration that they are managing another school. Given the quite high pay many head teachers get it's no surprise she's smiling!

[chattykathy]

'i think you'll find' that Michael Gove and his party are in the process of dismantling local authorities who would have ordinarily supported an inexperienced headteacher. In addition to this the Tories and Michael Gove especially do nothing but undermine schools and expect headteachers and their staff to perform miracles as well as solving the country's social problems at the same time. I really think that we will see more and more of this kind of thing happening throughout the public services.

[joeluke]

Why did she do this in her office? Surely all the children at the school will be traumatised and won't want to enter that room ever again

Didn't consider her precious pupils feelings when she did this selfish deed did she