Article By : Razia Sanwari

With the advent of May, comes the scorching heat, eternal lethargy, droning of water coolers but, more importantly… Summer Vacations!

‘Yippee!’ shriek the students!  ‘Sigh’ say the parents!

Almost two months of non-stop gully cricket, long hours on the play station, incessant surfing of TV channels… vacations are made of this! shout the kids.  Ask the moms and they have a different story to tell.  Non-stop demand for snacks, sleeping late into the day, sunburns and sweats… vacations are made of these, they moan.

Give us a break, scream Moms. Take them away, they plead.

Well, Moms won hands down when years ago, some genius took pity on them and invented the summer camp. This was not only meant to keep the children occupied during the holidays but also to help them come away well-versed in different skills, be it painting, craft, music or sports.

Summer camps are fast becoming a must for most parents and, in keeping with the demand, these are beginning to spring up in schools and local academies in most cities.

However, Udaipur is still lagging behind in this matter. Though more and more camps are coming up with each passing year yet, they are not as much as warranted.  Most local schools do not host camps in the vacations and also, there are not many local institutes that provide such a getaway.

Delhi Public School, Alok School and MDS maybe among those institutions holding hobby classes this summer but more such camps are the need of the hour.

It isn’t compulsory that all schools should conduct camps for their students but it is a fact that summer courses are crucial to a child’s development, says Arlene Sanadhya, English teacher for Grades 6-7-8 at The Study, Udaipur. A getaway for students during the summer is very important, she asserts.

“There are many institutes in the city at which classes could be held to help kids hone their skills in various creative fields”, says Sanadhya.  Children are brimming with unexplored talent and such camps could help bring these out and polish them, she explains.  Parents should be aware of their children’s calibre and channelize their skills through such camps, she adds.

Or better still, the teacher feels, there should be 7-10 day stay-over camps which would teach children to become independent and more aware of their selves… and come away appreciating family bonding and values better.

And what better time for this than during the summer holidays, she asks?

Hamida Hakim, a teacher at the Central Academy School, couldn’t agree more with this.

When the school session is on, children can barely get away from school work and tuitions so vacations are the only time when a child’s versatility can be explored, she says.  She thinks his or her creativity can be best brought out at summer courses or camps.

“I also believe summer camps are more welcomed if conducted by local academies instead of the schools since going back to school during the holidays may not be something a child would look forward to”, Hamida adds.

Whether at school or otherwise, the summer camp is a happening event so grab the chance while you can!