Abuja: As Nigerian schools wind down for the long summer holiday, many parents and students are advocating for skill building and rest over academic summer classes.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, a cross-section of parents and students said the shift is in recognition of the need for a non-routine, more balanced and reflective approach to how children spend the break. The parents noted that beyond the cost implication of summer lessons, new experiences, skill-building and spending quality time with their children, are crucial for their overall development and well-being.

While some stressed the need for productivity, creativity, and self-reliance during the holiday, others believed that finding rest would not be a bad idea for students. A civil servant and parent, Mr Bashiru Isiaka, shared his view on what an ideal summer holiday should be for children, especially under Nigeria’s current economic realities. Isiaka noted that summer holiday should be set aside for mental rejuvenation, rather than pushing children into rigorous academic programmes. He added that students could also undergo less rigorous online skills acquisition at home, like mobile app development.

Corroborating Isiaka, another parent, Mrs Grace Makolo, said summer holiday is time for children to relax and recharge, to enable them return to school refreshed and ready to learn. Makolo added that summer school is an additional financial burden, especially, at a time parents will be grappling to raise money to pay school fees for the new session.

Another parent, Bitrus Yakubu, on the other hand, said that, while academic preparation is important, informal learning and skill development should take precedence. Yakubu, a businessman, however, argued that having enough rest from the rigorous academic session would also do the child a lot of good.

Echoing the same sentiment, Mrs Unique Agbaje, a teacher and parent, said she preferred enrolling her 11-year-old daughter in a tailoring shop this summer. Agbaje added that skills would always make an individual self-reliant rather than depend on a white-collar job.

For Mrs Justina Ogumelen, summer holiday begins with a well-deserved rest period for her son, before he will resume at a phone repair shop. According to her, everything is not all about books; skills can secure children’s future.

Some secondary school students, who spoke to NAN, also shared varying opinions on how best to use the summer holiday. Emerald Nixon, a Senior Secondary 2 (SS2) student, expressed a clear preference for academic enrichment over rest and vocational pursuits, prioritizing her upcoming WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations.

Another SS2 student, Shqynah Danladi, supported acquiring vocational skills over summer lessons and rest. Danladi believed that exposure to vocational skills can broaden a child’s perspective and prepare them for the future, encouraging students to enrol for skill acquisition in coding, bead-making, confectioneries, event decoration, and others during the summer holiday.