SINGAPORE — It has been two years since their son died after falling from a high-elements school activity and Jethro Puah Xin Yang's parents said that they are still struggling to come to terms with his death.

"(We) are still very distraught after the incident and hope that this will never happen again to another child," the parents said in a statement to TODAY on Wednesday (Feb 1) night.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Education (MOE) resumed height-based activities at a lower capacity. This came after a two-year suspension in the wake of the 15-year-old student's death.

Enhanced safety measures in place include requiring all operators offering height-based activities for MOE students to ensure that their facilities are regularly accredited by a national sports association or a regional outdoor adventure learning professional body.

Activities resumed at 50 per cent or less of the normal capacity — and this will be in place at all activity sites until March 31.

Mr and Mrs Puah said in their statement: "This review has come too late. Height-based activities carry the risk of serious injury, even death." 

Jethro, a Secondary 4 student, was taking part in a school camp programme at an adventure sports centre in Safra Yishun club on Feb 3 in 2021 when he apparently lost his footing while at a height, and later died.

The police said then that he had "purportedly lost his footing while participating in a high-element course, but was suspended by the safety harness and subsequently lost consciousness when he was lowered to the ground”.

His parents told TODAY at the time that the student from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), or ACS(I), was a loving son, an exemplary student and a caring friend. 

In their statement on Wednesday, they said that MOE's new measures should have been the standard set from the start.

They questioned: "How could such high-risk activities undertaken by children be left in the hands of unaccredited operators and unqualified instructors?

"MOE should have been more careful with each child’s life that has been entrusted to them."

TODAY has contacted the ministry for comments.

In a Facebook post in February 2021, then-Education Minister Lawrence Wong said: "My heart goes out to the parents of the Secondary 4 boy who left us suddenly. To his family members and loved ones, my deepest condolences and sympathies." 

MOE and ACS(I) also said in a joint statement at the time that they would give their fullest support to the family and the boy’s classmates and teachers.

“The safety of our students has always been a priority for us.” 

A 22-year-old man was charged in September last year with causing Jethro's death through a rash act not amounting to culpable homicide.

Muhammad Nurul Hakim Mohamed Din worked as a dispatcher for the Canopy Sky Walk rope course run by outdoor adventure learning company Camelot.

He allegedly failed to ensure that both of the leg straps of Jethro's safety harness were properly buckled and adjusted before dispatching the student onto the rope course.