Boy, 10, found dead after apparent suicide at Illawarra primary school

The apparent ­suicide of a 10-year-old boy at school south of Wollongong has left a community reeling. It is understood a note was found at the scene

The Illawarra community is reeling after the apparent ­suicide death of a 10-year-old boy at school.

Emergency services rushed to the primary school south of Wollongong on Wednesday in response to an urgent call for help.

The 10-year-old boy, a Year 5 student, could not be revived.

Sources say the boy’s classmates did not witness the ­tragic incident, but treating paramedics and police officers were struggling to come to terms with the scene that confronted them.

A police spokeswoman said officers were immediately ­offered counselling. It is understood a note was found at the scene and there are no suspicious circumstances.

Mental health campaigner Professor Ian Hickie says young people have struggled with the social effects of Covid.

A spokesman for the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong said support for the entire community was ongoing.

“Following the death, the school and the Catholic Education Office have been and will continue providing comprehensive support to the school community, including counselling for staff and students,” the spokesman said.

“Local police and health services have provided significant assistance, and there is ongoing liaison with the ­Department of Education.”

Leading mental health campaigner Professor Ian Hickie said that when crises like this happened communities needed to pull together and not cast blame.

“It’s the extent to which these communities, the school community, surrounding communities pull together and don’t blame each other, that will help us get through it,” he said.

“It’s really tough when tragedies happen and we need to support each other.”

Professor Hickie, who is executive director of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute, said these were “very challenging times for young people”.

“Pre-Covid we were seeing increased rates of psychological distress and self-harming behaviour in younger people and younger ages of onset. Then we had Covid come along and that’s been really tough for young people, particularly school age and early post-school years.

“The upside is the community is aware, parents are aware, schools are aware, our general awareness of the extent to which young people are struggling has gone up.

“What we are trying to do now is really work with the things we can all do, in our families, schools, sporting clubs and churches, to connect with young people.”

Professor Hickie said the reality was that in a time of “great need” the community had been relatively slow to ­respond and realise there was an urgent need for better partnerships between health and education systems.

Covid also meant there was heightened pressure on schools because other socialisation outlets had been shut down.

“There is a huge responsibility on teachers, more so post-Covid because teachers are the ones helping provide that ­social connection for our young people,” he said.

“We need to find a way to connect, as aunts, uncles, friends, to be connected to the kids around us.”

Lifeline: 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 beyondblue.org.au

Originally published as Boy, 10, found dead after apparent suicide at Illawarra primary school