Education was on the mind of many on Monday as local schools reopened after the summer break. Particularly for those starting their first or a new school, this can be quite a scary experience.
Parents in question may take comfort in the knowledge that their children will quickly get used to any changed circumstances and feel right at home before they know it. In fact, the entire process of getting them up and in class on time but also to do their homework should soon feel like a daily routine.
The same, unfortunately, goes for related traffic especially in the Mary’s Fancy/Saunders/St. Peters/South Reward cul-de-sac area. Due to congested roads when school starts and ends, leaving early is the only remedy for motorists, along with staying calm and avoiding useless stress to the detriment of themselves and their young passengers.
Twenty-eight high school graduates also left for the Netherlands on Sunday to continue their education. Annual numbers have declined over the years, because of – among other things – efforts to promote studying in the region.
Nevertheless, for those involved it is a dramatic moment, as these teenage family members – in most cases for the first time – go off to live on their own in an unfamiliar and faraway place. Some fail to return for whatever reason, which contributes to the “brain-drain” argument against sending them there.
However, the Dutch study-financing system offers an opportunity that probably not all would have otherwise gotten. Of course, one hopes they finish their studies and immediately come back, but ultimately it’s about the chance to develop to their full potential.
