Summer School is For All and Not Only For The Rich

Someone once asked; is there summer in Nigeria? I laughed and said no but there is a summer lesson as a result of summer break in Nigeria. Summer break is usually the long holiday which is the third term holiday but sadly, children don’t know it’s a holiday as they have to attend summer school, especially those in private schools. ……the big question is does it mean summer school is not for all?

 

The essence of school holidays has evolved in our country Nigeria; from a time when children rested their brains, help with chores at home or play to a time when they go home for summer lessons and coaching immediately a week after school closure. This trend should include every Nigerian child and not just some Nigerian children.

 

Though, these summers school deprive many children of the joy of travelling to fun places or spending the holidays with families and loved ones. Some children especially those in the rural community are sometimes sent to live with one aunty or the other and some of these aunties use it as a medium to abuse them; asking them to go out and sell for them instead of encouraging them to study their books. Some even come back from the so-called holidays with scares and brutes all in the name of going for holidays in the city. I am saying this as an emotional advocate don’t be personal with me.

 

Some parents don’t believe in summer but due to their job they rather send their children to summer school than leave them alone at home with a maid or a relative, but the world is changing; house- helps are no longer reliable, and even relatives aren’t available, everybody is looking to be something better but the truth is summer school is beyond just a safe vine where you feel you can send your children to because there is nowhere to keep them. Some parents also register their wards for summer lessons because they don’t want them to regress academically- this is actually the major reason for many. There is also a set of parents who don’t even know about summer lessons because they cannot afford the regular school books let alone summer lesson fees.

 

The question is should we now allow the children from these parents to be left alone, of cause NO! …. Dolly children foundation is one of the organizations that have decided to say NO to ‘summer lessons is only for those that can afford it, the foundation has decided to organize a summer lesson for these set of children in public schools that need to be in summer lessons but their parent cannot afford it. The truth is, the foundation cannot reach every Nigerian child for now but has decided to start from somewhere.

 

“Personally, I advocate that kids learn vocational skills, no matter how long or short the holiday might be. Skills such as computer training, community service, leadership skills, event decoration, etc. It will make the children see the world in a different light and enable them to think outside the box.”

 

Amazingly, Dolly children’s foundation summer classes are loaded with these skills that will help the child to think outside the box. Apart from the children having to relearn what they had learnt and getting a glimpse of what the next classes hold for them. These are the skills that will be thought in this summer’s lessons; coding, safety education, etiquette, sex education, leadership, community service and entrepreneurial classes and so on….

The foundation chooses the above skills because children are naturally endowed with three domains of knowledge; cognitive, affective and psychomotor and it is also what the real world is all about. Education is beyond learning how to read and write it is for independence, one’s ability to cope with daily life, how to adjust to the workplace and having good interpersonal relationships both in leadership and in followership.

The teachers themselves are not left out on this; it is sort of a co-sustenance system though it might not be of a physical finance benefit. The teachers in this team, see this as a community service and career development as it is a plus for their volunteerism journey.

 

Author: Audrey Erowo Momodu