By Ravi Singh Negi
Board exams are over and students have roughly two months of vacations with them before they go to the next academic session. After that, in two months or so most of the schools will be closed for long summer vacations. At this moment, a lot of students feel clueless regarding what to do during this leisure time. Parents are also not sure about the kids’ schedule during these vacations. A few parents send their kids to the houses of some relatives for one week or even a month, in the name of socialisation, without any aim.
No doubt, exams are a stressful time for students, with long hours of studying, revision and sleepless nights. Students can finally take their well-deserved break from the hectic schedule. One or two days of relaxation or maximum a week of going somewhere is sufficient. The rest of the time should not be spent merely on scrolling through social media, catching up on sleep or loitering with friends.
Students must, instead, spend this time wisely by doing things that they enjoy, which will be productive for them. Parents must have a plan for kids to spend this time fruitfully. Our education system does not provide any constructive ideas or guidance to students for their leisure time during vacations or their weekend holidays, except burden them with more academic homework or some project with hackneyed ideas, for which a solution is readily available in stationery shops. Another glaring deficiency in the Indian educational system is its failure to cultivate students’ interest in societal engagement. Community involvement is often overlooked, resulting in minimal emphasis on service. Students must be involved in societal service during this period, even in small ways. Volunteering, community service projects, and internships with NGOs can instill social responsibility and empathy in students while allowing them to make meaningful contributions to society. Of course, nowadays, the NSS provides such opportunities but it is usually for higher classes and for a selected group of students.
Today, the emphasis leans heavily on developing skills. Employers look for individuals with knowledge, skills, and the right attitude. While knowledge remains crucial, its overemphasis can neglect practical skills. On the other hand, excessive focus on skills and job prospects may narrow students’ educational scope, hindering critical thinking and adaptability for which a proper balance between the two is required. Ideally, education should be holistic, serving three interconnected purposes: humanistic, civic and economic. Balancing these ensures a well-rounded experience, fostering adaptable individuals prepared for diverse opportunities.
Any vacation or even week end holiday leisure time can be utilised as valuable opportunity for future planning that will certainly benefit the growth of the students.
We in India do not lack options to explore and invest time in various activities suited to the interest of the student. The role of parents is of utmost importance in planning interesting and creative activities for vacations of the kids. There are many productive ways for students to spend their vacations or even weekend holidays. These activities might include –gardening, attending skill-oriented workshops, engaging in social service activities by joining some NGO, reading books like novels, biographies or books on enhancing communication and personality development, attending some yoga and meditation classes, organising an educational trip, starting a little project, attending classes to learn music and art. Students can also use this period to enhance their academic skills, such as writing, research, critical thinking, and practical abilities, language proficiency and digital literacy. They can also pursue some language course. A few of these courses are nowadays available online to make it convenient. Parents on the other hand can organise joint picnics and innovative and interesting games. During picnic sessions, children should be encouraged to take responsibilities like cooking and even arranging the event, of course under supervision of parents.
In short, students must make use of every single minute and channelise their energy constructively. In addition to academics, they should learn soft skills to improve their overall personality. They must be prepared to confront the challenges of constant change, remaining adaptable and innovative. They must cultivate the habit and sense of social responsibility and always develop their personality to the sole aim of life of an individual ‘to serve society’.
(Ravi Singh Negi is an Advocate, Social Worker and Marriage/Academic Counsellor.)
