Al Bawsala – With the onset of the summer vacation in Jordan, parents begin to search for how to benefit from this holiday in developing their children’s skills and occupying them with work or activities by enrolling them in summer clubs instead of staying at home and relying on screens for entertainment. The school holiday extends from June 26 to August 20 for government schools, military culture schools, and those of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East “UNRWA,” until August 30 for private schools, which is a long period during which some parents find themselves at a loss. In light of difficult financial conditions.

The financial situation of families plays the biggest role in determining the most appropriate option for the way to spend the children’s holiday. Children of high-income people enjoy high-quality entertainment in summer clubs. As for those with limited income, their children spend their vacation in front of television screens and electronic devices, or in the alleys to play football and other games. And few help the people in their work, especially in agriculture in the countryside and deserts.

Jordanian Abeer Al-Amayreh told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the summer vacation is an opportunity for students to rest and prepare for the new academic year. On the other hand, the responsibilities increase on the parents, especially the mothers, explaining that she has four children in public schools, and the summer vacation makes her worry about them as she seeks to give them what is useful. She adds: “During the school year, they are engaged in studying and doing homework, and they are in a safe place, which is the school, but things are different during the summer vacation.”

She explains that the family’s income does not allow her to enroll her children in summer clubs, as this requires at least 70 dinars (about $100) for each of them for a month, adding that they resort to the easiest solution and the available option, which is electronic games, watching TV and staying at home. She continues: “Unfortunately, money controls people’s choices, which is reflected in the new generation. Those who have money put their children in the best private schools that provide a different environment and means from public schools. Those who do not have money teach their children in public schools, which do not provide opportunities for entertainment and education that meet ambition compared to private schools.” She adds that, “after returning from work, she tries to talk to her children, remind them of their studies, and give them advice, in an attempt not to waste time during the summer vacation.”

As for Maysa Al-Abadi, she told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that she registered her three sons in a summer club to train in swimming and karate, in addition to other activities, at a cost of 100 dinars (about $140), including transportation, considering that the summer vacation is an appropriate opportunity to entertain children and provide them with new skills. She points out that her children are studying in a private school suitable for their income, adding that their academic achievement is good, which prompted her to go to sports activities to enhance their self-confidence. She adds that they take advantage of the summer holidays to carry out some domestic tourism trips, which is not possible during school days in light of the pressures of homework, obligations, and others.

In turn, Ihab Muhammad, a father of three students, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that, “As much as the summer vacation is an opportunity for students to rest, it causes pressure on the parents, especially when the father and mother are working.” He adds: “During the holidays, quarrels abound between children, and parents are forced to enroll their children in summer clubs in order to keep them as far away from screens and electronic games as possible, despite the fact that material costs increase the burdens of families, especially those who live in rented homes in light of the continuous increase.” in the prices of goods and services.
He hopes that the government will take into account those with low incomes and provide summer clubs or activities for students during this period, so that parents do not find themselves between two bitter things, such as enrolling children in summer clubs or leaving them at home without supervision and care.

In a related context, Heba Abu Halima, a specialist in the fundamentals of education, tells Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the summer vacation is an important part of a student’s life at all levels of study, explaining that its duration before the Corona pandemic ranged from two and a half months to three months. Unfortunately, the Jordanian Ministry of Education worked to reduce it, so that students would return to their studies on August 20, which is not in line with the educational objective of the summer vacation.
She adds: “In general, students in our societies face difficult and tiring circumstances, such as homework and some behaviors such as bullying and stress due to the long school day, and sometimes their lack of acceptance of the school curricula, in addition to social problems and life difficulties. Therefore, they need the summer vacation, which is a necessity, not a luxury.”

Abu Halima believes that the duration of the summer vacation should be suitable for students in order to get enough rest to activate their minds, increase their ability to focus, and prepare for the transitional stage and ascension to a new class, noting that the body also needs rest. Students in the first, first, second, and third grades are in the stage of building their bodies, and need more sleep, which is not available or possible during school days, which range from 9 to 10 months.
She explains that the period of 3 months is an ideal period for rebuilding a child’s mind and moving him to higher grades, adding that the persistence of academic pressures sometimes gives contrary results, and this is what the students express by saying that they “are no longer able to continue, and the vacation is an opportunity to restore their desire to study.”
According to Abu Halima, trying to compel children to be constantly disciplined is not in line with their instinct and nature, as children love chaos and lack of discipline, and these are important details for their physical and mental development. Parents should try to divide children’s time between sports and electronic games, develop a hobby of reading, and perhaps play music and watch arts on TV. She points out that the multiple choices of the child during the summer vacation make him more inclined to study when the summer vacation ends.

She believes that students from the seventh to the first secondary stage may feel bored and tired, stressing the importance of organizing time, especially since many students may feel lazy. Here, parents must give them the motivation to return to school, with the need to maintain good values ​​and behaviors.
She advises parents to remind students, especially younger ones, of the basics such as reading, writing and memorization, at a rate of 3 to 4 classes per week, and to motivate children to read stories, pointing out that some students forget everything they learned during the summer vacation. She says, “Many parents are keen that their annual leave coincides with the students’ summer vacation, so that they can spend time with them away from the preoccupations of work, study, and so on.” She explains: “There are those who enroll their children in summer clubs, and parents should take into account their children’s sports, artistic and cultural inclinations, and it is good for students to practice activities that facilitate the discovery of talents and create psychological comfort for students.”
Abu Halima advises parents to “take into account the needs of their children, especially since the summer vacation has a great impact on the students’ activity during the next school year,” stressing that this holiday “has a psychological benefit for children who feel that their time is theirs and that they can play and do whatever they want, unlike what is the case.” During school days, which are almost completely programmed.”

The New Arab