What lies ahead in new academic year

Schools officially opened yesterday. After a long holiday break, students are back to reconnect with their books. There are a lot of expectations this academic year, just as we saw major changes in the education sector in 2016, plans for 2017 are looming.

Glory shoo, 14, is one among thousands of students going back to school for another academic year. She can’t hide the excitement of going back to school after a long December holiday. With the excitement of reconnecting with old friends, and meeting new ones, she’s also excited about the fact that she has advanced in her education and will be joining a new class. “I am in form two now and I’m very happy. I understand I’ll be having a lot of commitment in school but I will do my best to study hard and make my parents proud,” explains Glory, a Tegeta Secondary School student.

With an ambition to become a doctor in future, Glory says she will study hard with more emphasis put in science subjects so that she can have good grades that will enable her to continue studying science.

With excitement, comes a considerable level of worry for the unknown. “Will I cope well with my studies? That is one question I keep asking myself several times,” Glory reveals.

While starting a new academic year might be exciting for many students, it is welcome with caution and worry by some who’ll be experiencing it for the first time.

Martin Malik, 13, is joining form one this year and he is very excited with the prospects that lay ahead. This will be his inaugural year in secondary school so he has braced himself for the new challenges.

“After toiling in primary school for seven years, I’m happy that the journey came to an end and now I have embarked on another fulfilling journey. Even though I’m a bit nervous, especially with the fact that everything is new to me, I’m well prepared for the year ahead,” Martin says.

He says his wish was to go to a boarding school but his parents thought it would be better if he schooled in Dar es Salaam.

“I pictured myself in a boarding school, far away from home and how I would make new friends but all that was shattered when my parents told me they could not afford to take me to a private boarding school and instead go to a public school I was selected to join after passing my standard seven exams,” says Martin

Richard Kalenga, a teacher based in Dar esSalaam says going back to school can be an exciting time for many students but it can also be a challenging moment to those who have never experienced an academic year before.

He pointed out that it is important for parents to encourage a positive attitude towards academics to their children.

“I encourage parents to talk to their children about the new school term and find out what they are expecting out of it. They should also try to deal with any concerns their children might have about school and let them know that they can always talk to their teachers if they are worried about anything while they are at school,” he advised.

He said parents should do their best and try to make the return to school a positive thing. “Parents should be anchors of courage. They shouldn’t show any form of worry in front of their children. Those with very young children who are experiencing education for the first time should embolden them and give them assurance of success while at school,” she says, adding, “it is through the affection and care shown by parents that most students will be encouraged to focus on their studies without any worry.”

On his part, James Mnganya, a secondary school teacher based in Mkuranga is of the opinion that going back to school is a situation that needs some adjustment.

“Students may feel anxious and excited about seeing old friends again, and at the same time they’ll feel sad that holidays are over.

The feeling of sadness is mostly seen among children who are still in primary school or those who are shifting from one grade to another at a young age. This is the time when a parent’s guidance comes in handy. Such a time can be confusing to some, but parents and teachers can play a pivotal role in stabilising the situation.

James further advised that parents should personally visit the school with their children, for those who are going to a new school, or those who have just started studying. “It is important for parents to be by the side of their children the first time they visit a new school. There is always that feeling of nervousness whenever a student is being introduced to a new environment,” he speaks, adding, “parents should take time acquainting their child to the school environment and staff, this will give them some level of comfort and assurance.”

With all the excitement there is for some students who have started the new school term, some are worried about being pressured by what their teachers and parents expect of them.

Angel Mdoe, 16, a form four student is concerned about the work load and how she is going to keep up with school work now that she is in her last year in secondary school.

“I am happy that we are starting a new term as it is the year I will sit for my form four final exams. I expect to do a lot of studying to prepare myself well for the final exams later in the year. I know it is not going to be an easy task since we will be doing a lot of preparations in school but I am well prepared both physically and mentally thanks to my parents who helped me a lot during the holidays when they enrolled me for tuition classes, I leant a lot during this period,” she says.

While children of all ages have different experiences of going back to school, parents have worked hard to ensure that everything works out well for their children’s return to school.

Shaban Musa, 47, a father of two says despite all the economic hardship, he has done his best to ensure that his two children who go to secondary school have everything they need to make their learning experience good.

“I have a boy who is in form two this year and another one has joined form one .The former is excited since he is entering a new class but the latter is a bit worried because he doesn’t know what to expect from his new school. What I have done is to ensure that they both get all the help they need from school, and I have also encouraged them to help each other,” says Shaban.

Most students who are scared of a new academic year and studying far away from home prefer studying closer to their parents, but such a situation doesn’t prepare them for the future. So it is advised not to give in to their desire of being closer to home.

“When one of my sons wanted to study in Dar es Salaam close to his mother, I assured him that everything will be alright and that I and his mother will go visit him whenever we he wanted us to. I believe that by parents building their children’s sense of resilience, it can be one of the character elements that help them cope with school challenges.”