New year pain for most parents
THE beginning of a new year is usually a traumatic period for both parents and their children. This is more so for children entering schools or kindergartens for the first time, for they are experiencing their first rite de passage (rite of passage) from a protected environment to an open, and sometimes hostile, one. Some parents feel the pain of having to release their protective shield over their loved ones.
Most parents with schoolgoing children, however, experience a different kind of trauma that recurs every year – the financial trauma, particularly for those in the lower middle and low-income groups. The cost of maintaining a child in school has been escalating. The burden is even heavier for those having several schoolgoing children.
The unending lament one hears from such parents is heartbreaking. They have to adjust their stagnant income to meet the ever-rising expenditure by trimming or cutting off some necessities so that their children can have new school uniforms, books, school bags, shoes and other educational paraphernalia at the start of the school year.
And, of course, bus fares. Those parents who cannot afford to pay bus fares send their children on motorcycles. And when there are two pillion passengers, parents can court danger.
To make ends meet, some parents may have to take additional jobs to raise their children.
Why is this happening when the authorities report strong statistics like 6.2% growth in GDP, high GNI, high FDI and a high-income nation? These data all point to a robust economy.
What is the point of all these statistics which reflect a high-income economy when people on the ground are in difficult situations? These macro economic data do not reflect the micro economic environment. If only the authorities would descend to the ground to see the actual plight of the B40, then they would be able to feel this mismatch. The twain does not meet. In fact, they have been moving in opposite directions and the gap keeps on widening.
We have the resources and the expertise but they are not being used optimally for the benefit of the people. Perhaps our elected representatives need to focus more on the plight of the ordinary people. They must use their energy, ingenuity and creativity to help the very people who elected them into office. They need to adopt a selfless attitude and be cognizant of the fact that they are elected to serve the people. It would go a long way if the authorities could help reduce the burden of not only parents of schoolgoing children but also the general public.
The way to do this is to get the economy on an even keel. This would require the authorities to sincerely address the pertinent economic issues, which include the strength of our currency, the national debt and the spiralling cost of living. All these elements have eroded the purchasing power of the majority of the people.
These are not insurmountable issues if the authorities focus their energy and expertise in addressing them. They should not be distracted by partisan or personal agendas but should honour their pledge to serve the people and lead them to a better life and future. Parents and their children, and the public in general, can begin to count their blessings instead of their woes if their concerns could be addressed.