During summer, one thing you come across very often in major cities is the calls for summer camps. Organisations — both established and emerging — come up with camps offering plenty of activities for children. The concept of a summer camp that gained popularity with urbanisation is envisioned as a programme for children to spend time creatively and develop their skills.
However, some recent experiences have proved otherwise. From a personality enhancement module, it has degraded to a mere money-making gimmick, though not all. An experience of Manju K. Varghese, a working parent from Kochi, substantiates the argument.
Manju sent her seven year-old son to a summer camp in Edappally, Kochi. Her faith in organisers who conduct classes in schools led her to enquire about the packages on offer. The schedule was inconvenient for Manju as she wouldn’t be able to reach the venue from office in time to take the child back home. But the organiser offered to take care of the child for some extra bucks for the additional hours.
Manju agreed and ended up paying a good amount for the class and the extra hours. Prior to the classes, she visited the camp venue to ensure safety and cleanliness. She even visited her child thrice on day one to make sure that things are in order. But, she got the shock of a lifetime in the evening when she came to pick up the child. The hall was locked from outside with the sandals of her son still there.
The mentor was unavailable over phone. The panic-stricken mother asked the security guard to open the hall, who didn’t have the keys with him. Meanwhile, the trainer called back Manju only to say that she was not aware of being locked from outside. She struggled hard to get in touch with the caretaker of the building and bring the child and mentor out.
“What if the mentor was outside and my child was locked from inside? How would have I communicated with him?” asks Manju. “I sent my son there trusting that they would take care of my child. Handling children is no joke and you need expertise. I opted for summer camps so that my son will spend some quality time during vacation instead of staying glued to cartoon channels. His safety mattered more. They couldn’t ensure that. Summer camps have become a business now,” she adds.
A trainer from Kochi is of the opinion that parents literally dump their kids in summer camps as they cannot afford to take leave and sit with the kids. “They don’t ask their children what they want to do on a vacation. They consider summer camps as a place to keep children engaged during day time. Hence, they force the children to join every course available," says the trainer.
Then why do parents send children to summer camps? Primarily, to keep them engaged with friends and activities. “Children, especially pre-teens, look forward to endless hours in front of the TV, video games and mobile phone chats during vacations. Although my 11-year-old is adequately responsible and reassuringly safe in a guarded apartment, as an office-going mother, I would rather let my daughter spend her time making friends and learning new skill sets,” says Dr Bina Thomas from Thiruvananthapuram who believes her child gets worthy learning for the amount paid.
So do our children need summer camps after months of strict learning in their schools? “It is needed because our education system is not great. More than a place for extra-curricular activities, summer camps should enrich the moral and creative sides of a child through various sessions. But, do not force it upon your child. There are kids with a flair for it. Send them and they will enjoy.
Understand your child’s needs first. Then do a background study; check the credibility of the organisation and eligibility of the trainer. If a Zoology teacher offers tuition in Physics, will you send your child there? Think in that line,” advises Razeena Padmam, former director and professor of School of Behavioural Sciences, MG University, Kottayam. "Lack of cross checking from parents' side is one reason for mushrooming of summer camps," she adds.
