By Ziyah News Reporter
THE school uniforms are back on, alarm clocks are ringing before sunrise, and Beitbridge’s streets have once again filled with learners heading back to class.
But behind the excitement of the new term is a familiar concern for many families: the cost of keeping a child in school during a difficult economic environment.
Schools across Zimbabwe opened their doors on Tuesday for the third and final term of the 2026 academic year, beginning the last push towards year-end examinations and assessments.
In Beitbridge, parents told Ziyah News Network that preparing children for the final term had brought unexpected expenses, with uniforms, school fees, transport, stationery and food all putting pressure on household budgets.
For Moyo, the cost of replacing a uniform that no longer fitted was an unexpected expense that disrupted the family’s budget.
“Time flies. When schools had closed, I was so relaxed that I never checked my child’s uniforms. Just yesterday, when she tried them on, that’s when we found out that they no longer fit anymore. She last wore them in the first term, and for the second term she was using the winter uniform. Now we are going off budget to get her back to school,” said Moyo.
For parents with children sitting final examinations, however, the financial pressure is tied to the hope that the sacrifices made during the final term will pay off.
Mrs Sandra Ncube said her family had made sacrifices to ensure her Form 4 child had the support needed to complete the final lap of the school year.
“My child is a Form 4 candidate. We sacrificed all that was at home for him to go for his final lap, with hopes that he passes and moves to the next chapter. We are hoping schools maintain a strong focus on teaching and learning and avoid unnecessary interruptions during the final stretch,” she said.
For parents of Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper Six learners, the stakes are particularly high as candidates prepare for their end-of-year examinations.
A local teacher, who met Ziyah News Network at a local bank and spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly on school matters, said the third term was often the most demanding period for both teachers and learners.
The teacher said the pressure was particularly intense in examination classes, where teachers had to cover the remaining syllabus while dealing with learners who had missed some holiday lessons.
“I have an exam class. Unfortunately, some students poorly attended holiday lessons, and with the little time we have to cover the rest of the syllabus, it is going to be difficult,” he said.
The teacher’s concerns highlight the pressure facing examination classes as schools race to complete the syllabus before the final examinations.
Despite the concerns, Beitbridge has also seen investment in school infrastructure.
In June, Zimborders handed over an upgraded computer laboratory at Beitbridge Mission Primary School, including 25 desktop computers for the laboratory and additional equipment for the administration block. The school said the upgrade would improve learners’ access to technology.
Such interventions offer a glimpse of what is possible when schools, communities and the private sector work together to address infrastructure and learning-resource gaps.
For thousands of learners in Beitbridge, the excitement of returning to school will quickly give way to the seriousness of the final term.
For examination classes, every lesson counts.
For teachers, the race is to complete the curriculum and prepare learners.
For parents, it is another financial and logistical balancing act.
And for learners, the message is simple: there is no fourth term.
The final bell of the 2026 academic year is already on the horizon.
For Beitbridge’s schoolchildren, the final push has begun.
Back to school. Back to books. And this time, there is no term left to waste.