Summer breaks are hindering the learning experiences of the students
– Atul Malikram
Summer is around the corner, and although new academic sessions have commenced in all the schools, students cannot wait for their summer vacations to begin. While the summer holidays are a fresh start for most students, they also have side effects that cannot be overlooked. It has been found that summer holidays are highly responsible for damaging the learning experience for scholars every year. Students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, start their academic year with learning levels lower than they were at the beginning of the summer break. While the schools may provide equal access to education to all the students, the summer holidays prevent the students from accessing equal learning opportunities.
Research suggests that students lose a month of school-year learning during vacations. Indeed, pupils from advantaged social backgrounds tend to improve their learning proficiency during summers through various camps and training. However, those who do not have the same luxury suffer an equivalent loss of advancement. Summer break deepens inequality by burdening low-income parents with childcare duties while depriving the children of much-needed educational time.
According to a study done in the year 2020, 52% of students lost an average of 39% of their total school year gains during the summer months. Apart from falling out of learning habits during the summer, students also lose the learning capacities that they had acquired the previous year. Therefore, schools spent much of September re-teaching last semester.
Summer breaks allow poor children to become isolated, have limited outside play or physical activity, and “little of the ‘fun’ that other more privileged children might experience during the breaks. Children who cannot afford smartphones or learning camps should be given opportunities to continue their learning experiences in the summer. In such scenarios, the government, along with private e-learning institutions such as Byjus, Vedantu, Meritnation, Doubtnut, and the like, should come forward to take initiatives to organize special programs either online or offline for the children belonging from the poor background during the summer holidays. Various education initiatives should be brought about to kindle the students’ academic interests in this age of technologies. Moreover, schools can arrange summer programs that are cost-effective and relevant for the students to enrich their learning experiences.
Students need to have a break once in a while, but the long, extending summer breaks do more harm than good. Students’ learning is a never-ending process. It would be advisable for the schools and the education system to make necessary changes to their academic calendar, focusing on the requirements of the students and their future.
