Summer camps are designed and conducted during summer vacations. According to Wikipedia, a free web based encyclopaedia, “a summer camp is a supervised programme for children and/ teenagers conducted (usually) during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers”.
The conventional view of a summer camp is to provide the kid or teenager with some recreational activities. In many countries, summer camps are designed to provide kids with wide prospects for hiking, canoeing, campfires, performing arts, music, magic, computers, language learning, mathematics, and weight loss. The basic theme following summer camps is to let the children take healthy risks in a safe environment, without compromising education and self development. Due to such programmes, children get an opportunity to explore and maybe, identify their future endeavours.
Children need a break from the inflexible parameters of school. School goers are not adults, it is a lot to ask that they sit in desks all day, always paying attention or they get in trouble, being quiet, following orders, etc.
Young student need a break. They need a chance to learn outside of a formal seating. Teachers need a break more than anything. Working hours per week are ever on the rise and summer break provides them all with some mental clarity and time to revitalise for the next school year.
The basic theme behind the summer holidays was to reorganise and re-evaluate the child basic demands in their study. Summer breaks provide an opportunity for self development and a wonderful time to explore outside of the confines of the school and classroom and to learn time management.
A 12-14 weeks summer vacations, usually starts in Pakistani schools approximately from June up to August/September. The basic purpose for these vacations is to provide a break to the children from the tough and busy routine of school. During these vacations children are given scanty work commonly termed as “summer holiday tasks”. These tasks include exercises to be solved from curriculum books. These tasks are only meant to keep the children in touch with their books.
Many researches are conducted to define the span of summer holidays. Among many reports, Fox News published a report saying, “the research into whether students at school where summer breaks are short do better than kids attending other schools. But existing comparison suggests the modified calendars have small positive effect on student achievement”.
The concept of summer camp applied in Pakistan is somewhat different compared to the other countries. The proper definition of summer camps have been mentioned earlier, but in Pakistan the concept of summer camps has been taken atypically.
Summer camps are treated more as a short time school. Children have to come to school in their school uniforms, along with their complete books. Though, the timings are shortened, but the modus operandi remains the same. Teachers teach the classes as they do before summers and extra-curricular activities are least bothered
All such kind of activity is ruining the concept of summer camps, as they are designed for children to indulge in activities other than studies.
Let’s teach our kids the value of relaxation, of spending time with good friends, of making things with cardboard and duct tape. Let’s teach them that they can learn on their own by trial and error and that life is not an assembly line.
So, its better that summer camps be taken as they are meant to be or students be given vacations to explore themselves, as just sitting in a classroom longer does not necessarily ensure that children will learn more.
(The writer is a Financial
Consultant in an international firm)
