As schools across the country begin summer school programmes designed to engage students during the extended holiday period, education experts have provided valuable advice on making these programmes attractive to parents while aligning with the school’s mission statement.
In separate interviews with Akeem Alao, Dr. Toyin Sam-Emehelu, a seasoned education and business consultant, and Racheal Taiye-Abiodun, an educator and handwriting expert popularly known as Teacher Racheal, shared their perspectives.
Dr. Toyin Sam-Emehelu
Dr. Toyin Sam-Emehelu, a proficient education and business consultant and certified coach and mentor at Core-Skill Transformational Academy, offered a nuanced view on the organisation of summer schools.
In her interview, Dr. Sam-Emehelu acknowledged the potential benefits of summer school but emphasized the importance of understanding individual children’s needs.
“I am not really a fan of the summer school programme, especially for students having classes during the holiday. However, I believe that schools can reimagine their summer offerings to focus on skills outside of traditional academic studies,” she stated.
Dr. Sam-Emehelu suggested that summer programmes should provide enrichment activities, such as learning new skills, rather than conventional academic instruction.
She also highlighted the role of summer school in addressing learning gaps.
“Summer school is subject to peculiarity. It fixes the learning gap a student suffers. It is the best time to engage them to fill in the gaps and prepare for the next session,” she noted.
The seasoned educator advocated for incorporating activities that teach 21st-century skills, such as robotics, to keep children engaged and prevent skill loss.
Regarding the financial benefits for schools, Sam-Emehelu acknowledged that summer programmes could generate additional revenue. However, she emphasised that the period should also be used for reviewing the previous academic year and planning for improvements in the upcoming session.
To attract parents, she advised schools to meticulously plan their summer programmes.
“It begins with how a school effectively plans the programme. A school should outline their programmes and how the students can benefit from them. Including activities not available during the regular school period, such as recreational activities, can be very appealing to parents,” she explained.
She also recommended making the timing flexible and showcasing past successful holiday activities to parents.
Racheal Taiye-Abiodun (Teacher Racheal)
Teacher Racheal, an educator and handwriting expert, emphasised that summer school is optional for students but often chosen by parents due to their busy schedules.
“Many parents enroll their children because they have no place to keep them during the long holiday,” she observed.
Teacher Racheal highlighted several benefits of summer school. “It benefits the students in the sense that some parents do not engage their children during the holidays due to their busy schedules, hence the need for children to get meaningfully engaged. It benefits the parents because it relieves them of the concern of where to keep their children while they go about their daily activities,” she explained.
Additionally, she noted that it provides schools, particularly private ones, with extra income to augment staff salaries for the month of August.
She concluded by advocating for a focus on co-curricular activities rather than academics during summer school.
“Holiday classes should be focused more on co-curricular activities and not academics. By doing so, children can have fun while learning, which contrasts with the usual learning that takes place during the term,” she said.
Both Dr. Toyin Sam-Emehelu and Teacher Racheal explained the potential benefits of summer school programmes when they are thoughtfully designed and implemented.
By focusing on enrichment activities, addressing learning gaps, and engaging students in fun and meaningful ways, schools can attract parents and fortify their mission statements.
Effective planning and clear communication of the programme’s benefits are key to garnering parental support and ensuring the success of summer school initiatives.
