Ready For Back To School, Students?

Asks Joe Kingsley Eyiah, OCT, Brookview Middle School, Toronto-Canada

“So soon the vacation is over and we will be back to school?” queried my nephew in Accra-Ghana where I have been spending my summer holidays this year. However, my nephew has been attending vacation classes since elementary schools in Ghana went on break early August! Maybe he is not ready for back to school even though he has been going to ‘school’ during the vacation! Well, I have to rush from Ghana, where I have been enjoying my old folks company, to Toronto-Canada at the end of August myself to get ready for school in September, by God’s grace! ARE YOU READY FOR BACK TO SCHOOL, STUDENTS?

Every September is back to school for most students in both Canada and Ghana. Going back to school or starting school present problems to many students. So what do we do as students when schools re-open in September?

The long vacation often causes students to forget most of what they have learned the previous year and since the early days of the new school year are used to revise stuff learned at the previous grade level students ought to take such days seriously. There should not be playing of truancy.

Since parents are forced to buy a lot of school supplies for students at the start of every academic year, students ought to respect and take good care of such supplies. In Ghana for example, students in boarding houses often lose their items to petty thefts. Students, especially those going to boarding houses or hostels, must be more careful with their belongings.

Also, students are back to school. They should therefore cut the time they spend playing or watching television late into the night. Many students are late to school in the mornings because they don’t go to bed early. Punctuality, timely completion of homework and positive attitude toward studies are obvious hallmarks of success at school and all students ought to chalk them!

Though all is not well with the educational system in Ghana as political parties vying for the December elections are struggling to make education their priority (by rhetoric), with some even promising to make secondary education in the country free if they are voted into power and, with the obvious looming confrontation between the Ontario government and the teachers in that province of Canada over their new contract agreement, IT IS BACK TO SCHOOL TIME! New and returning students must therefore be ready for school. It is my prayer that these students are helped to make the academic year a BIG SUCCESS. Their education must not be sacrificed on the altar of politics anywhere! Education first!

Students, be ready for back to school. Make the academic year very fruitful by being serious with learning from the very beginning. Make friends with students of good character and resolve all conflicts at school amicably. Don’t forget to participate in school programs as many as you could during the academic year. TO ALL STUDENTS, I SAY, HAPPY SCHOOL YEAR!