Schools countrywide are currently working in overdrive as they get ready for the resumption of classes next week on January 9, according to the calendar by the Ministry of Education.

Already, some students, especially those in boarding schools have started reporting back to their respective schools.

But ahead of the schools reopening, the Ministry of Local Government this week launched a campaign aimed at sensitising parents to ensure their children report back to school on time when classes resume.

The efforts are meant to curtail school dropout which continues to be registered even after all efforts – including heavily subsidizing school fees and other dues –to ensure that all Rwandan children are able to access at least the first 12 years of education.

However, even with these incentives in place, some parents still find excuses to not send their children to school, or even at worst, keep them out of school to engage them in child labour, for their own interest.

The task to keep children in school should however not be left to the Ministry of Local Government or even that of education. It should be a collective effort by everyone.

Often times within our communities, we meet children loitering around during school hours and tend not to be concerned. This should not be the case. We should be able to question these children as to why they are not in school, and even engage their parents on the same.

We all need to be involved if we are to stamp out this vice because educating an entire generation will yield enormous results for the country at large.

Religious leaders should also get actively involved in drumming up this sensitization because they command a lot of influence in their respective communities.

Like the saying goes, it takes a community to raise a child. We must therefore take this task a little more seriously.