Upset by the decision to start the new school year on a Friday, angry parents have questioned plans by the Ministry of Education.Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one parent said: “It’s bad enough that most summer day camps finish up at the end of August.“The following Monday is a public holiday, and then there’s day care costs for another three days before school reopens on September 6, one day before the weekend.”In a time of economic hardship she and others were highly upset that they will have to pay for a full week of day care for just three days.“It makes absolutely no sense to me,” she said.“If there’s a day to be made up for class, why not take it off another holiday period?”Another parent said: “I think it’s crazy that school starts on the last day of the week.“The Ministry should adjust the school calendar to commence on the Tuesday or Wednesday after the holiday instead.“Most camps finish the end of August which means parents have to find someone to watch their children for three days and still have to pay for the whole week.”A spokeswoman for the Ministry said: “The school year is determined based on the legislated required number of days we have as teaching days per year and the collective bargaining agreed number of days that must be allocated for teacher preparation and/or professional development before students enter school.“The school calendar requires us to accommodate those days. This means that at any given time, school may commence at the middle or end of the week.”That was of little comfort to a senior citizen who cares for a young grandchild in primary school.“The whole thing is very silly, especially when children used to go back to school right after Labour Day.“Families are struggling enough as it is, and Lord knows my pension cheque is hardly enough to cover this nonsense.“As far as I’m concerned they need to listen to the parents who look after the children. Everyone who has a young child is having a problem with this.“It’s not an issue for those who can afford nannies and private school fees.“What about the working-class people already struggling with the cost of living in Bermuda — the ones carrying the brunt of taxation and now this aggravation,” she said.Meanwhile, Dellwood Middle School students will return to class to be greeted by the collapsed wall that’s cordoned off.A Public Works spokesman said talks with Government have been ongoing with the City of Hamilton for the past three months.“It was agreed that the corporation would take the lead on repairs. They’ve assured us that it’s going to be done,” he said.But when contacted, Edward Benevides, Chief Operating Officer and Secretary to the City of Hamilton, said the repairs will not be completed before classes begin.“The wall on Angle Street at Dellwood School collapsed in May this year,” he said. “As a result, the City of Hamilton and the Bermuda Government had discussions on the best approach to building a retaining wall on the property. “An agreement was reached and the plans are currently before the Department of Planning for approval. Once approved, the project will go out to tender.“It is anticipated that work will begin shortly after a contractor is selected. Given this timeline, the wall will not be completed prior to the start of school in September,” he said.Another angry parent said: “It’s dangerous to have a perimeter wall collapsed for such a long time and it needs to be fixed before school reopens.“Whoever is charged with fixing it needs to put safety first.”The Public Works Ministry is due to issue a status report during the week of August 19.Maintenance projects on the public school facilities began in July, with cleaning projects due to be completed by August 23.Minister Trevor Moniz said: “There have been some challenging areas which we’re dealing with but we feel sure that things will be ready in time for new school year.“The two Ministries work well together and we’re confident all physical plants will be ready for the opening on September 6.”