We can no longer pretend not to be aware of the fact that in our work places we have many students or that in our university lecture rooms we have lots of working class students. Therefore this week Education Times looks at the challenges of maintaining the balance between work and school. It is not easy to concentrate at school yet one also has to work to earn some money for basic necessities. In the same way it is tough for someone with school demands to be 100 percent productive at work. The starting point therefore would be a call for understanding on the part of employers and lecturers. For example, a human resource officer ought to know clearly which of the staff members in the company also double as students. They need all the necessary facilitation and understanding in order to achieve the balance. If they have examinations they need some time off to attend to that. You do not want your employees to also be school failures. Lecturers also need to understand that students with work obligations may have some challenges. Some students arrive for lectures after work and by this time they are exhausted. This means that a lecturer has to try to make his/her lectures interesting to avoid sending the already tired students to sleep. All in all, the fact that one has students who are also working should be seen as a good thing. Working students will come to the learning environment with more determination and experiences worth sharing.  Engage them and build on their experiences.