Moffat Mungazi
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
THIS week’s opening of the second term brought in panic and stress to most parents.
The city was gripped by chaos – the streets were gridlocked, queues snaked out of shops onto pavements, and banks were packed with parents scrambling to pay school fees.
As the back-to-school frenzy reached its peak, the air was thick with anxiety, urgency, and exhaustion.
Everywhere, parents clutching plastic bags filled with school essentials – shoes, socks, pens, and exercise books – rushed to complete their last-minute preparations.
In a surprising twist, the usual January back-to-school frenzy was replicated in May, with parents facing similar financial pressures.
The Manica Post spoke to various parents engaged in last-minute preparations and shopping, and it became apparent that for many parents, sending their children back to school this term felt eerily familiar to the daunting “January disease” experience.
The strain of affording school expenses, typically associated with the post-festive season period, had resurfaced in May, leaving parents scrambling to make ends meet.
“I feel like I am reliving January all over again,” said Mrs Memory Chitope, exasperation etched on her face.
“I have just paid rent, and now I am faced with school fees, uniforms, and lunchbox expenses. It is overwhelming. My daughter is doing Form One, so I have had to buy winter wear for her. My salary is already gone, and it is only the beginning of the month,” she said.
Mrs Chitope bade a tearful farewell to her daughter at Sakubva Bus Terminus where buses waited to ferry learners to various schools.
On Monday afternoon, the city’s various pick-up points, including Sakubva Bus Terminus, Apex Energies Service Station, Meikles Park, and Leons Tyre Service, were abuzz with activity.
Parents and learners scrambled to load trunks and bags of tuck onto buses, while others rushed to nearby supermarkets and stationery shops to tick off items from their lengthy and expensive shopping lists.
For some, like Ms Patience Mushati, the financial strain was too much to bear alone.
“I had to borrow money from a colleague just to pay part of my children’s boarding school fees,” she admitted.
“For each of my two children, I paid US$380 out of US$450, so they could be allowed entrance into the school. I will settle the balance at month-end. It is not easy. Transport alone to their school in Nyanga cost me another US$40, it is like these schools want to milk us dry, but we cannot do anything because we want our children to travel safely. We are doing everything we can because we believe in education, but it is draining,” she said.
Uniform shops in the Central Business District were packed from morning to evening, with frustrated parents and tired children waiting in queues for fittings. Some small shops had sold out most of the basic items like white shirts by midday.
“I visited three shops searching for a white shirt and grey trousers for my son. Prices have changed again, and it is like the more you plan, the more prices fluctuate. I ended up buying a larger size because they did not have his size, and I could not go home empty-handed,” said Ms Tendayi Mungofa.
Even parents with children in day schools felt the burden.
School fees, stationery, sports attire, lunch money, and transport costs added up quickly.
“As a parent of four, two in primary and two in secondary school, the financial strain is immense. The schools demand full payment or a deposit for a payment plan. On top of that, I need to buy pens, books, file covers, school socks, and pay levies. I have spent over US$250 and still owe money. If I had not sold my phone last week, I would not have managed,” said Mr Tinashe Mungwari, of Dangamvura.
Vendors took advantage of the situation, selling school-related goods outside popular shops.
Pavements were filled with back-to-school bargains, lunchboxes, water bottles, socks, and second-hand school shoes. Some vendors even sold their wares from the boots of their cars.
The hustle was real, with buyers trying to save every dollar, and traders trying to cash in on demand.
However, for some parents, the stress went beyond financial strain.
“The January disease feeling is not just about the money. It is emotionally draining, trying to meet deadlines, fulfil school requirements, and not wanting to let your children down. I did not sleep all Sunday night, worrying about whether the school would accept my child with only half the fees paid. I told myself we will just eat sadza and vegetables until month-end. At least she is in school and her education is so important. That is what matters,” said Ms Chitope, while admitting to using her grocery money to top up her daughter’s school fees, highlighting the difficult choices parents faced in the back-to-school rush.
For parents with children in boarding schools, the financial and emotional burden is often exponentially greater.
Extensive trunk lists, including blankets, groceries, medical supplies, toiletries, buckets, and dishware, add to the expense. The cost of transporting children to rural boarding schools further exacerbates the strain.
“As an educator myself, sending two children to a boarding school in Chimanimani does not make the process any easier. School fees, uniforms, and groceries are costly. My budget for both children increased from US$500 to nearly US$700, and I still need to make ends meet for the rest of the month,” said Mrs Mushati.
Some parents admitted to shouldering the stress silently, reluctant to burden their children with worries or guilty.
Despite the hardships, most parents expressed unwavering commitment to their children’s education, viewing it as the key to a brighter future – even if it means sacrificing comfort or incurring debt.
“We were raised to believe that education opens doors, and that is what drives us. No matter how financially strained I become, I will ensure that my children receive an education. They deserve a better life than mine,” said Mr Mungwari.
As schools reopened on Tuesday, the streets were slightly chaotic, with some parents still scrambling to complete their shopping.
While bank queues dissipated, vendors selling school supplies remained.
Though the back-to-school hustle may be over, the sacrifice and silent prayers for a smoother next term linger.
For many, the start of a new school term signifies more than just fresh uniforms and sharpened pencils – it represents stress, sacrifice, and the unspoken hope that the next term will be less daunting.
Online Reporter