From north to south and east to west in Western Tidewater, children and parents are preparing for classes, which begin bright and early Tuesday, Sept. 3. Administrations and faculty have already been setting up classrooms, lesson plans and schedules.

But still we want to ask who’s ready for school? More precisely, who’s mentally ready to teach and to learn?

We’re trusting that the teachers have not only their credentials, but more importantly also have a genuine desire to be in classrooms.

Windsor District School Board member Julia Perkins correctly observed at the recent IOW convocation that if everyone maintains their excitement for the 180 school days, the county school district could be the best in the country. We add that the same could be said of any school system.

While many students might not understand the importance of why they’re in school, we hope that parents and teachers alike will impress on them and reinforce the need to be in classes. Parental involvement is especially crucial to a child’s enthusiasm and success.

As we see it, schools should not be nurseries just to watch children while parents work at their own jobs. They should be places where knowledge is coupled with critical thinking. In that way, young people could become independent thinkers and doers. Further, that they’ll develop the skill set to make their way in the world and – we live in hope – be contributing and productive residents of this region.