Sampana Jagadish is stepping into UKG this year. Having just completed her first year in school, one would expect her to be spending the summer vacations at home, playing with the neighbourhood children, watching television, reading books or simply spending time with her grandparents.
On the contrary, the five year old will be attending a summer camp. Among other things, she will be learning table manners and fluent, spoken English everyday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. during the holidays.
For several children like her, summer vacations are a break only from school. Most of them are either acquiring a new skill, improving an existing one, or even preparing for the next academic year.
Summer is no longer synonymous with holidays. Parents do not see anything wrong in keeping their children occupied even during the vacations.
Sampana's mother, Jayashree Jagadish, a working professional, said that she sent her daughter to a summer camp last year too. “At home, children end up watching too much TV, as soon as the holidays begin. At these camps, she is being taught what is usually not taught in school. Plus, we get to know of her hidden talents through these camps,” she said, referring to an award the girl won for a painting in the previous summer camp.
Asked if it is not too early for her daughter to be sent to such camps, Ms. Jagadish did not deny it entirely. However, she said that in summer camps, children are taught what they miss out in school. So what if they come at a price? (Sampana's two-month camp will cost Rs. 4,500.)
Psychologists and child rights activists do not shy from calling it the “summer camp craze”, where it is fashionable to send children to such camps.
Nagasimha G. Rao from the Child Rights Trust conceded that it is an urban phenomenon.
“But slowly, such camps are being started in the districts too, drawing inspiration from the Bangalore-based camps,” he conceded.
However, nobody is vocally opposed to the concept. C.R. Chandrashekar, senior professor at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), said that there was nothing wrong with summer camps in principle. “But it is important to ask the child if he/she is enjoying the camp,” he said.
‘Ideal way'
Asked if there is an “ideal way” to conduct a summer camp, Prof. Chandrashekar said, “Children should be allowed to express themselves and also improve skills. They should not be forced to learn something but should be given some freedom, along with some leisure time. The camp should not be too structured; activities should be creativity-based and designed to be age-specific.”
But the unregulated growth of these camps has caused some apprehension among the stakeholders. Mr. Rao recalled a case of rape of a minor girl at a summer camp last year. Safety issues have also long plagued these camps, especially those dealing with adventure sports.
He said that those who want to start summer camps (as most of them are temporary) can get approval from the Child Welfare Committee.
