Making the best of long break from school

Experts offer tips on what students should do during school holiday and explain why as a parent you don’t have to dread the over two months children stay home

The lengthy school holiday kicked off last week, with students taking a break to pave way for the national examinations.

Households across the country are now playing host to excitable children enjoying a break from the tiring school routine.

The long holiday, however, brings various challenges that parents and students must be ready to face.

The Sunday Nation spoke to education experts and life coaches on how both students and parents can make use of the holiday to get the best out of it.

HOMEWORK?CUT ON IT

The director for secondary education at the Education ministry, Mr Paul Kibet, is not a fan of assignments that teachers give learners to do while on holiday.

“Schools are advised against giving a lot of homework to learners when they go home for school holidays. Doing so extends the school to the home environment,” he said. Formal learning should not eradicate informal education that children used to receive from their elders, he reckoned.

OUT-OF-HOME TRAINING A NECESSITY

The easier way out for many parents would be to stock foodstuff at home, pay for electricity, and let the children run the show.

But life coaches think the holiday provides a golden chance for the young ones to learn skills the education system does not impart.

Njoroge Kiarie, the co-founder of Lafayette Resources, is offering lessons on social pressures, how to enhance self-esteem, handling money, and choosing careers.

Literature a good pastime.

While he advocates for less homework, Mr Kibet, the secondary education director, says good storybooks should be part of the menu for parents.

“Parents should ensure the children have something like good story books, fiction and nonfiction works to read for enjoyment and also develop proficiency in English and Kiswahili.”

For those studying foreign languages like German and French, some elementary books on the languages can help.

INITIATIONS GALORE

All over the country, walls, electricity posts and trees are saddled with posters from people offering to circumcise boys at a fee.

Some of the notices have been placed by the Anglican Church. A representative said the aim is to circumcise boys and let them stay in one place as they recover and receive life lessons. “We will be with them for 10 days. The Sh5,900 we are charging caters for the child’s accommodation, food, guidance and medics’ fees.

DIALOGUES AND BONDING

Mr Kibet of the Education ministry explained one of the reasons why educators factor in holiday in their calendars.

“The Ministry of Education provides school holiday to enable students to relax, and socialise, bond and fraternise with the family and the community they come from or live,” he said.

During this long holiday, he said, discussions and bonding between parents and children should be given priority.

ABILITIES AND TALENTS TO BE NURTURED

Besides motivational talks, the holidays provide an opportunity for children to further their talents, be it in sports, music, artistry or any other field.

Mr Kiarie of Lafayette Resources said one way to nurture talent is by ensuring children’s self-esteem is kept on check. “High self-esteem is the most essential ingredient for children to grow into happy, successful, self-actualised adults,” said the motivational speaker.

YEAR-END FESTIVITIES

Every family has its own way of holding festivities to mark the end of the year. Children at home must be part of this to cultivate that sense of belonging, according to Mr Kibet.

This, he said, should go hand-in-hand with community service.

“The children should as much as possible engage in community service peculiar to the localities they live in like participating in church functions or programmes.”