Georgetown abuzz with back to school shopping
DPI, GUYANA, Saturday, September 02, 2017
The new school year begins on Monday September 04. This has made downtown Georgetown unusually busy, as it is the second busiest season for businesses next to Christmas. Today scores of parents and guardians flocked downtown to cash in on bargains and do last minute shopping for clothing, shoes, school supplies, and textbooks with just one more day left for shopping before school reopens.
Many parents and guardians accompanied by children were seen shopping to prepare them for the new school term. Lynette Maxwell was hurrying to get last minute school supplies of stationary and (book) wrapping paper for her three children. She told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that, “I bought most of the school items already but I just needed some books and coverings for the books…”
Father of three, Kenny Smith said though the place is congested he always enjoys back to school shopping. Smith said, “It’s always wonderful doing back to school shopping, I didn’t look at the prices for most of the things but I know that school shoes are always one of the expensive things, but its ok.”
Navita Raghubir was spotted trying to purchase a watch for her son’s return to school. Raghubir said, “He always wants a watch to go back (to school with) so every school year, I gotta buy for him so I just getting that. I just buy his school clothes and everything else.”
Meanwhile, going back to school is usually an exciting time of the year for many students, as it is a fresh start with endless possibilities. Along with meeting new classmates, teachers and subjects, there is also the chance to reinvent oneself with every new school year.
Amidst the all shopping some children are excited to return to school and rekindle relationships with their friends and teachers. Tanisha Gaskin a student of St Winifred’s Secondary School is hoping to work harder this new school year. She said, “I feel excited, I’m ready to go work harder and prepare for CXC next year and make my mom proud.”
Michael Amsterdam from L’ Aventure Secondary School in Canal Number One, Region Three is also preparing for CXC next year. He said, “This is pretty exciting, I feel good. I will be coming out of school just now so this is a great feeling for me.”
Ten-year-old Jonathan Skeete happy to be entering a new grade said, “I’m happy to go with my friends, and make some new ones. I love my school Redeemer Primary School and I love my teachers too.”
Vendors and proprietors are a part of the buzz with their business seeing an increase from many back-to-school sales. Wendy said she has been a vendor for nine years and every year the back to school business gets better.
She said she was able to finance her daughter, who recently sat the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, throughout Secondary School with her business. “I’m a single parent and my daughter did well in her CSEC from this business, the back to school sale is doing wonderful, many persons are shopping and things are going well.”
As the hustle and bustle continues for the last-minute preparations for the new school year, some parents are shopping before and after work to have their children ready for school on Monday.
As the school doors reopen on Monday September 04, and many students embark on a new journey with new teachers, new schools, new grades (class), new friends, we are reminded of the words of the great Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
By: Ranetta LaFleur