The end of our revised school term yesterday would have left an indelible impression on the minds of the family of two brothers who allegedly drowned in Lautoka.
The brothers had reportedly skipped school to go swimming with friends when the incident happened.
Shivnil Singh, 17, and his 16-year-old sibling Shalveen Singh were students of Tilak High School.
They were with five others when the incident happened.
As their family struggles to come to terms with the reality of what happened, we are left to ponder on how we will look ahead to the school holidays.
Apparently, the friends had skipped school to celebrate the end of the school term yesterday.
Their family never knew they weren’t at school.
They went about their normal day yesterday, with no inkling of the tragedy that was about to unfold, and change their lives forever.
Accidents happen.
They will happen because we allow them to.
It is unfortunate that drowning has attracted massive attention over the past few weeks, claiming the lives of young people.
Attention will focus on parents and guardians, and how we factor guidance and advice into our lives.
Sadly though, there are such moments when circumstances culminated in death.
It is difficult then to factor in the protecting arms of parents and guardians.
In hindsight though, parents and guardians have a critical role to play in the nurturing of children.
There is hope that advice and discipline will kick in when circumstances dictate.
We agree with Minister for Education Rosy Akbar that students have a week to reset their minds, rest and refocus for the next term.
She was at the commissioning of a new school block at Nawai Secondary School yesterday, where she urged parents take responsibility of their children during the school break.
Unlike previous years when the second term would be brimming with activities such as sporting events and the annual Hibiscus Festival for instance, this year’s program has been turned topsy-turvy by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perhaps it is apt that we take time out to embrace our roles as parents and guardians, and consider what we can do to keep our children safe over the holiday period, and prepare them for the start of the new school term.
We have an opportunity to plan how our children can spend their holiday.
We can either make the week interesting and a learning experience for our children, or we allow it to fly by.
There will be differing opinions on what constitutes a fair holiday program for children.
Surely there are things such as learning a new language, joining a sports club perhaps, learning to swim maybe, self defence, or devoting time to reading for starters.
There are places to visit if you have the time.
Then there are revisions of work already done, in readiness for the new term.
Let’s be vigilant when it comes to safety issues.
Let’s be alert when on family outings to the beaches, rivers and the pools.
If you plan to be on the road, plan to arrive safely at your destination.
Let’s not forget to adhere to social distancing rules, and keep COVID-19 at bay.
Let’s stay on course Fiji.
Let’s plan well, be proactive and vigilant.
Happy school holidays.
