This week will be back to school week for students in primary and secondary schools, whether government, government-aided or international schools as the third term begins.

It has been a tumultuous academic year, affected by Covid-19 restrictions, particularly for school going children in the City of Kigali, who between January and February lost a couple of weeks due to the lockdown that was imposed on the city.

With the difficulties this academic year, at the end of March the new body National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), said that the student performance was expected to decline for second term and possibly third term, due to the challenges and interruptions brought about by Covid-19.

As schools reopen, students will be struggling to cope with the amount of work they have to cover in 3rd term, even as preventive measures continue to be enforced, to ensure that the new Coronavirus does not interrupt the academic year again.

According to Dr Alphonse Sebaganwa, Head of Department of Basic Education and TVET Examinations at NESA, academic performance is generally expected to decline this year but with no further interruptions, students are likely to catch up during third term.

With final exams expected, Jean Baptist Habanabashaka, the Head teacher of Kagugu Catholique Primary and Secondary School says students will be under pressure to cover the remaining part of the syllabus and later sit their exams.

"But we hope they will have enough time to read and revise in time for exams. We pray that they will not encounter any other disturbances but generally we think their studies were impacted,” Habanabashaka said.

As children go there a few things parents can do to prepare for third term to ensure proper learning conditions   Boost their confidence

Before they head back to school, talk to them about the third term and remind them that this is the most important term of their school year, whether they are moving up to primary school for the first time, heading into their final year of secondary, help them overcome their anxiety and boost their confidence by telling them that it is possible.

One of the best things you can do to calm their nerves is to discuss how they are feeling about the final term. Simple, open-ended questions are a fantastic way to learn about any issues or fears they may be having.

Teach them to understand, not cram

The biggest challenge school going children face in third term is attempting to cram whatever they have studied. The approach rarely backfires especially when they have to study under pressure.

The website www.thirdspacelearning.com indicates that by gently encouraging your child to understand and answer questions, rather than cram notes, they easily answer and pass their exams. Have a chat with them on different topics of their subjects, ask them simple questions, you will be able to dig a little deeper and help them if anything out of the ordinary comes up and it appears that they are in any way stressed about the final exams. Discuss school matters

Talking enthusiastically about school to build up excitement is important in terms of buoying their confidence and expectations. Make them excited about what to expect, meeting their friends again and going to the next class.

Some children find it difficult to leave their parents for a day after a holiday and are therefore not huge fans of going into school, especially those in boarding school. Talk to them about school in a positive light before they head back to school.

Talk them through all of the fun things they will be doing over the year, and discuss the friendships they will build. Create routines If they are day schooling, create routines to help them get their term-time sleeping patterns back on track. Ensure that they strike a balance between school work and having a good rest.

This can greatly improve their performance. Remember a tired child is a distracted child.

The first few days back at school can be very tiring, so whilst you should be prepared to battle through the complaints you will get, make sure your child has good sleeping habits before they go back to school. Fun weekends Though third term is about studying a little more than any other terms, creating some weekend fun activities will help the children relax and perform better in class and exams. Don’t let them get buried in school work the whole weekend.