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Musawenkosi Moyo
Boarding school pupils from various schools assembled at the Bulawayo City Hall parking lot this morning to board buses to their respective schools in accordance with schools opening tomorrow.
The mood was somber with pupils and parents saying their goodbyes.
Redemption Kaitano, a form two pupil from Sacred Heart School in Esigodini, however, said that she was excited to go back to school after a long holiday.
“I am excited to go back and meet up with my friend whom I have not seen for a while, I also love studying so I am very happy to be going back to school,” said Kaitano.
Another student Anele Nkala, a form three student from Usher High School said that the moment was bittersweet for her as she felt happy to be able meet her friends again but also felt sad to be leaving her family.
“I love my parents, and I am a little sad to be leaving them, but I am also very excited to be meeting my friends and peers again, people I can joke around with and have fun,” she said.
The sentiments were however, different for parents who stated that they felt mixed emotions about their kids going back to school with the sadness of being apart from them and the burden of school fees and groceries weighing heavily on them.
One parent Andiswa Nkala said that in order to make sure that her daughter has everything that she needs and does not feel out of place at school she has had to make sacrifices at home such as cutting down on food items and other commodities that they usually buy at home.
“We make sacrifices for our kids that are leaving and that leaves us with a lot of struggles at home. It is hard for us parents to cope with all the bills required by the school and at the same time manage the bills at home,” she said.
She also said that she was sad that her daughter was leaving, and she will not be able to see her for a while.
“She is also my friend, and without her I will be left very lonely, and I will also miss having someone to run errands for me.”
Another parent Lorraine Maphosa (37) stated that as parents they were having a difficult time keeping up with the prices of items which just keep on rising.
“School fees last rose last term and although we have not heard of any changes this term it is still stressful because the current fees are a lot to bear for us parents and we are having trouble keeping up with all the required things at the school,” said Maphosa.
derick.khumalo