A 10-year-old learner has been admitted in hospital after he reportedly tried to take his own life on Thursday afternoon at Smiley Kids Boksburg North, where he attends aftercare.

Smiley Kids management confirmed the incident, saying the boy they were aware that the boy had problems at home and was in the process of arranging help.

“Our centre was in the process of arranging psychological help for him, but this initiative required his parent to give consent before we could start the process.

“His mother eventually gave us the consent letter on Wednesday evening allowing the school to arrange help for the boy. However, he tried to harm himself on Thursday while we were still in the process of getting him help through Kuselo Child and Youth Services,” says the school management.

The school explains that the incident happened at a time when learners get food and then do homework. The boy asked to go to the bathroom.

It is alleged that instead of going to the bathroom, the boy went to a section of the school yard that is out of sight of the teachers in their classrooms where he attempted suicide.

The school says that the boy is currently in Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (Joburg General Hospital), where he is in a stable condition.

The Boksburg North SAPS spokesperson could not immediately confirm whether the police are investigating the incident.

However, according to a well-placed source, the police are aware of the incident and are analysing a CCTV video-footage from the scene.

The source told the Boksburg Advertiser that in the video clip the child is seen walking to a jungle gym with scarf around his shoulders, which he then used to hang himself from the jungle gym.