Bangalore kids choose ‘freedom’ over summer camps

This is no ordinary summer, it is a virtual enactment of the Pink Floyd's number 'Brick in the wall'. Those parents who wanted their children to spend their summer vacation in some sort of 'organised' activity when they both go to work, is no more happening, kids have started saying 'no' to pointless summer teaching and camps that have no fun and freedom.

The organisations, which held summer camps for kids last year, have not ventured into holding them this year due to lack of interest among the kids. Youth clubs, mahila mandalis, social welfare groups, social service clubs, even schools and ad agencies that organised summer camps have had no or little response. But on the other hand, outbound activities like kite flying, trekking, nature camps, wildlife tracking, sand castling, boating and creating bio-diversity registry have received good response.

Tejas of 6th standard, refused to attend a month-long finishing school. “I do not want to be sitting inside the classroom even in the summer vacation, instead I started to go on cycle expeditions with my friend, we do not go very far but still it fun to be outside with friends," he said.

His mother Sneha felt disappointed in the beginning but compromised with the revolt of her son after seeing his happiness.

In the case of elder girls, things were different. They detested the idea being inside the summer finishing school. “I had an argument with my mother when she said she had registered my name for a finishing school, where they taught the art of speaking, table manners and stuff like that. I had to catch up with the literature series. I plan to finish all the seven books in the next 20 days," said Rachana a 9th standard girl.

Child Psychologist Sandeep Shenoy agreed that “too much classroom teaching jades them up, there is already talk of less of classroom activity even in the regular academic year, this was the sole reason why the international schools produce better individuals than the run of the mill in the state and central syllabus schools, we cannot talk of robbing childhood of our children and yet goad them into doing something which they do not like" he said.