BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA
MBABANE- It is not a ‘Janu-worry’ for parents this year!
In an effort to find out the preparedness of parents for the opening of schools this year, the Eswatini Positive News (EPN) news desk gathered that most parents were financially ready for the school opening frenzy.
Speaking to the EPN desk, parents that were interviewed said they had budgeted for the opening of schools last year, before the festive season was in its peak.
Worth noting is that the beginning of January is the time when parents are buying school supplies for their children which include uniforms and stationary. It is also in this time where some parents are scrambling for new schools for their children and paying hefty school fees and top-up fees.
Schools in Eswatini are opening on January 17, 2023, which is about in two weeks.
Because of this, January is known to be a frustrating time for parents as they are not financially fit due to different reasons, including over spending on the festive season.
“The emergence of COVID-19 taught us to do things differently and save more. This year, we have been able to save for school fees and other necessities for our children to go back to school comfortably.
“In the past, we have seen out elders overspending during Christmas time only to be frustrated in January. We are breaking the pattern,” said the parents during an open interview with this reporter.
Different parents held slightly different views on their preparedness and this is what they had to say:
Lindelwa Motsa- My children are going to new schools and that is about the only stress that I have because there is a lot to do. I need to buy uniforms, stationary, new bags and secure transport for their routes and all this does not come easy. However, this is not to say that all this was not budgeted for.
Sifiso Makhubu- I will have a fairly good start of the year this year because all is sorted for my children. I did not only budget for schools opening but I did everything that needed to be done before Christmas. The only thing I await as a parent is the day of the opening of schools.
Gugu Dludlu- Over the years, I have grasped the concept of opening of schools at the beginning of the year. During my early years of parenting, I had to take loans in January and be disorganized with getting schools supplies. Now, I prepare for the next year by the end of November and this year is no different.
