Parents agonise over back to school

By Ilia L. Likou 25 January 2017, 12:00AM

There is no doubt the children of Samoa are looking forward to returning to school.

But parents are already stressing out over how to finance their school fees, uniforms, building fees, stationary, etc. 

There is no parent not feeling the sting as education expenses continue to rise with every school year.

Maggie Taualai, 39 of Moataa is no exception. 

She was spotted by the Village Voice yesterday while on her way home after the women’s committee meeting. 

The mother of four informs the Village Voice there is just her husband their children and herself in their family. 

Her husband works for the Ministry of Police as a policeman. He is the only person that financially supports the family.  

 This year is special for this mother since the oldest daughter would be attending College at Leifiifi this year as a Year nine student. 

“I am busy this week with family commitments still my mind is buzzing with the fact that I have to get to preparing my children’s school stuff next week,” she said.

“It’s every parent’s dream to see their children grow up to be successful.”

Her secret weapon all these years is , ‘nothing is impossible when we trust ourselves’.

Her biggest challenge is the cost of living and trying to match the expenses of schooling while also trying to meet the financial demands of other matters that are just as important. 

But she feels “my children’s future is far more important than anything else.” 

“The cost of living is far beyond the moon but every parent should take their children as their first priority.”

“As a mother, I planned long before how to budge for their lunches, uniforms and everything else when school starts again.”  

“I tell you, it’s not easy!”

“I think everyone parent does the same because most parents do not mind the struggle they go through now but to make sure that their children are educated and successful in life.”

“To be honest  I don’t want my children to suffer.”

Maggie told the Village Voice that what she’s looking at this year is to set school routines for her children to follow.

“I think not only to look at how to support them financially but managing their time in their school work at home.”

“Organising schedules for them to do their homeworks, when they to have a rest, when to turn off the tv are some of the important practises that I should prioritise this year for my children.”

Maggie feels that this sort of discipline will guide my children into the right future and particularly for now into the right practises to ensure they excel in their studies. 

“This will give them more time to concentrate on their school work, enough time for them to sleep and so have enough rest to be able to get up early for school.”

She believes that “if we play our part as parents the work of those teachers in classrooms will be made much easier”. 

Raising children and guiding them into the right path and education for a bright future is of course “everyone’s responsibility”. 

And that belief is not further from the truth since the younger generation is believed to be the future of Samoa. 

By Ilia L. Likou 25 January 2017, 12:00AM

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