Don't blame children for our failure to plan

The start of a new academic year brings a mountain of challenges for parents, guardians and the children as it comes in the wake of a chaotic and expensive festive season.

- THULANI MAGAZI

The start of the academic year is inevitable, but the society often acts in an oblivious fashion.

In December last year, on Wednesday 10 to be exact, most parents received their children's school reports. They were all ecstatic and praised their children for their remarkable achievements. Yes, there were a few sad moments where children did not make it to the next grade.

With the children's report cards there were stationery lists, uniform requirements, and all the other school associated costs.

In most instances these were chucked away. The majority of parents refused to worry about the 2026 problems or challenges in 2025, particularly schools that would open in over a month.