"Even if the findings are accurate, you have to think about their impacts on society," he said.

"What if this information prompts other students to consider taking their lives?" The pollster responsible for releasing the figures, Abac Poll Research Centre, questioned 1,000 students about their educational aspirations and 2 per cent of respondents said if they failed, they would consider killing themselves.

Pavich said his office would complain to Abac Poll Research Centre, expressing its concern and dissatisfaction.

"A pollster needs to have ethics," said Pavich, describing the survey as inappropriate.

The main reasons students cited for considering suicide were a lack of anyone to comfort them, to let adults know how they felt and to lodge a protest against the National Institute of Education Testing Service (NIETS).

Earlier this month, NIETS twice voided the O-Net (Ordinary National Educational Test) and A-Net (Advanced National Educational Test) scores because the results were wrong.

Authorities are now busy rechecking the O-Net and A-Net answer sheets and are going to officially announce the scores on April 30. In response to Pavich's complaint, Abac Poll Research Centre director Noppadon Kannika said Pavich should have seen the questionnaire used and the objectives of the survey before criticising it.

The Mental Health Depart-ment and Abac Poll Research Centre conducted the research

to help students who failed to win a place at their preferred university.

 "We have never asked whether the respondents are going to commit suicide," Noppadon said.

He added that specialists from the Mental Health Department had helped design the questions and qualified experts with special training in research were responsible for the methodology.

"If you examine all the findings from the survey, you will see many positive things," he said.