Lin Kunhui, founder of the Life Education and Crisis Intervention Center, conducts interactive programs with students in Shanghai. Provided to China Daily

"Their deaths might come many ways, but the root cause is that they fail to recognize the world and life itself," he said.

"Today, parents spoil their children, which makes them more fragile and unable to deal with difficulty," said Lin. "Sometimes a small disappointment can make them take the road to ruin.

"It's time for education departments, family and society to rethink the issue."

Instead of sermonizing, Lin's program delivers its message through interactive role-playing. Audience members take on the role of a group or individual under the guidance of lecturers "to experience their inner self", an aspect not always reflected in their daily lives.

And the whole process is joyous and light-hearted.

"In the classroom, we don't talk about life and death. What we do is to help them to find a sense of happiness. We want to help them build a stronger inner quality," he said.

The courses have been used in Taiwan's schools with good results.

"It is also time for mainland students to receive such new education," he said.

Every year, about 250,000 people commit suicide in China, while another 2 million attempt to cut their lives short, according to statistics from the Ministry of Health. Although studies show the highest incidence is among the elderly and rural women, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention says suicide is now the top cause of death for people aged 15 to 34.

In developed countries, 90 percent of suicides are connected to mental illness, but in China only a small proportion are the result of diagnosed mental problems, say experts.

Young people, especially those in puberty, take their own lives due to a lack of respect for life in general, said Liu Pengzhi, president of a middle school affiliated with Renmin University.