These summer camps last for 15 days to a month

It’s that time of the year every child looks forward to. The long summer vacation, which starts in the second week of April lasting up to second week of June, is every child’s favourite. After an intense period of study throughout the year, children find the break refreshing.Not many years ago, parents used to pack off their children to the homes of relatives staying in bigger cities during the vacation. But, given the choice of summer camps available even in small towns, parents prefer sending their kids to these camps closer to their homes.

Why the summer camps? These days when classroom learning is becoming rote with no possibilities of being trained in music, dance and art, summer schools are coming up with exciting packages that offer basic skills in these arts.These summer camps last for 15 days to a month and the timings are usually between 8 a.m. till noon. Curriculum is designed for different age groups. For children below six years, the camps are a gamut of fun filled activities such as reading, playing indoors which enables them to explore, and observe.

Lack of facilities

But hygiene and lack of trained teachers are two major issues parents have to confront while admitting their children in the camps. Many places lack basic amenities such as toilets.In Guntur, the summer camps are held at Guntur Club, LVR and Sons Club and State Regional Library.

“We at the Eurokids Summer Club have an exclusive package which offers a joy ride of fun and adventure for children. Our curriculum is a gamut of fun-filled activities designed for different age groups, such as ‘Rumble in Jungle’ and ‘Murky Mud’, for children below six years, while classes in art and radio jockeying are offered for age groups between 10-12 years,” said Rajesh, franchise head at Eurokids.

Gnana Dhara

Meanwhile, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has also come out with a special programme “Gnana Dhara”, in which students who have passed Class 5 and those who have passed Class 9 are admitted in a residential summer programme at Kastuba Girls Hostels across the State, which not only offers coaching programmes in English, Mathematics and Sciences but also provides them training in life skills such as photography, painting, art and communication skills.

District Educational Officer R.S. Ganga Bhavani said more than 10,000 students have been identified across the district for the summer training programme.