Enab Baladi – Nadine Jabour
With the start of the summer holiday, parents in rural Damascus are heading to register their children in summer clubs organized by private centers, seeking a safe space that combines education and entertainment, where children can interact with their peers.
Some parents struggle to find recreational activities for their children during the summer break, especially with rising costs of outings and travel. Summer clubs provide an environment that helps children spend time away from smartphones.
While some parents have managed to secure spots for their children in these clubs, the majority of Syrian families suffer from poverty and are unable to meet basic needs. Many children have also left school to join the workforce to support their families or help them secure their basic needs.
Amal, a director of an educational center in rural Damascus, stated that there is increasing demand from parents for summer clubs due to the general conditions in the country, which hinder their ability to visit tourist spots or parks.
Parents turn to these clubs as they provide a “safer” environment that allows children to release their energy in a productive and organized manner.
Learning through play
Some summer clubs aim to integrate education with play as a way to develop children’s educational skills and provide an engaging way for them to interact with their surroundings and spend enjoyable time away from the seriousness of school curricula.
Sulaf, a mother of a 10-year-old girl, noted that she has no problem with incorporating some educational activities in an entertaining manner, but she prefers recreational activities, as children spend most of the school year under pressure, with curricula largely relying on rote memorization.
Impact on child behavior
Summer clubs play a crucial role in shaping children’s personalities and enhancing their social values. Through interaction with their peers and teachers, children can acquire behaviors that significantly affect their psychological and social growth.
Social expert Abdul Majid al-Khateeb emphasizes that summer clubs are influential in children’s psychological and social development, particularly during childhood between the ages of two and ten, which is deemed “the most critical” in forming an individual’s awareness and behaviors. Although these activities can sometimes be profit-driven, this raises questions about the quality of activities offered, as effective results cannot be guaranteed if the primary aim is profit.
Moreover, the impact of clubs extends beyond education and entertainment to include building values and shaping an individual’s personality, depending on the nature of activities and the quality of instructors. Therefore, it’s essential that qualified professionals with experience in child interaction supervise these clubs to ensure the effectiveness of activities and achieve satisfactory results.
Cost vs. quality
Some parents feel that the costs of summer clubs are reasonable compared to the activities offered, despite the availability of some free activities that are often presented in a “conventional” and “traditional” manner, which do not stimulate children’s interaction or creativity, according to Hana, a mother of three.
The quality and content of clubs vary based on the financial circumstances of each family. Some clubs offer comprehensive programs that combine play, education, and outdoor activities, while others provide only the bare minimum of activities. Some parents prefer physical activities in open spaces like playgrounds and parks.
Summer clubs target children aged 6 to 13, and their programs cater to children’s needs and interests, which vary by age group.
Managers of these clubs face several challenges, primarily the rising wages of specialized instructors and the costs of recreational venues where the programs are held, such as playgrounds and swimming pools.
Additionally, transportation costs for students pose an extra burden, especially when organizing trips outside the main club location. Despite this, the number of summer clubs in rural Damascus is increasing, leading to competition among them to offer distinctive programs and activities that attract children, according to Amal, the director of an educational center in rural Damascus.
A haven for joy and growth: Summer clubs provide Syrian children with a welcome escape Enab Baladi.
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