THE second school term begins today countrywide.
With a whole month of preparations, we expect the smooth running of the schools.
Students in boarding schools left over the weekend to start their classes.
We also hope that they are well prepared for the second term.
Being winter, we hope the kids are well kitted to beat the cold weather.
Of course, winter uniforms are a bit expensive but that is no excuse for parents who had the whole month to prepare.
No kid should miss classes because they don’t have winter wear.
We also expect well-wishers to come on board and assist kids from humble backgrounds, with warm clothing.
A pair of shoes or jerseys can go a long way in assisting others during this time of the year.
As we all know, not all parents/guardians have the means to meet all the demands needed during this time of the year.
Those who have the means, and have enough to spare, should also remember pupils in remote areas where they walk long distances to and from school.
Many of them would be without shoes.
Sharing with the poor can make us a better society because that will help to ensure that the dreams of these young students will not be shattered.
There are also poor families in urban areas who also need help to send their children to school.
Over the years, we have seen scores of students missing the first week of new terms as some parents struggle to raise either school fees or their children’s tuck and uniforms.
The last-minute and chaotic “back to school” shopping, which is now common, should never be encouraged.
Parents or guardians should be responsible enough and should have started preparations for the new term a long time ago.
A true and loving parent should go out of his/her way to ensure that they give their children a chance to be educated and, in the process, give him or her a better chance for a brighter future.
One of the things parents should never be reminded of is to fend for their children.
We should always prioritise the welfare of our children.
They come first and everything follows later.
They come first in terms of the love that we should be giving them and they come first in terms of the help that we should be giving them.
Term Two school preparations should have started in March when the students finished their term one lessons.
Children should never be deprived of their rights to education.
We have always considered ourselves to be different from other nationals on the continent, especially when it comes to our commitment to ensure our kids are educated.
It’s a badge of honour which we wear proudly as Zimbabweans.
Let’s not change the way we have always been proud of educating our kids.