DUBAI — Today would be the last working day for most private and public schoolchildren as they close for a two-month long summer break, though some have already closed earlier this month.
Even as parents and children gear up for the long vacation, school counsellors have urged parents to keep children "socially and academically" engaged during the holidays.
Reading, current event reports, making contact with friends through the Internet, sleep away camps and summer reading programmes at local bookstores are some tips given to parents by the Counselling Centre at the Indian High School.
In a letter to all parents of the school, counsellors say, "Educators have an expectation so it's good to stay engaged as a learner through talking, listening, reading and writing."
They say that students who 'idly' pass two months of time in the summer may have difficulty getting back into the "swing of school life" socially and academically.
Counsellors have encouraged students to be in touch with their school peers through e-mails, phones, writing or visiting them. They have also asked parents to indulge their wards in recreational activities and explore new interests.
While many children say they plan to stay and enjoy Dubai Summer Surprises and numerous summer activities lined up for July and August, several plan to head out to their home countries to spend time with their families. For instance, a survey conducted by the Taaleem group, previously Beacon Education, among over 1,000 students from its schools, revealed that 95 per cent of them are leaving the UAE to escape the searing temperatures.
The survey of students from Kindergarten to Grade XII in its six schools in Dubai and one in Abu Dhabi showed that 95 per cent of them, expats and locals, were heading to the US, Germany, the UK, Switzerland, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran and Pakistan to be with their families or to simply beat the summer. The ones who do plan to remain in the UAE are looking forward to summer camps, said the survey.
Most schools in the emirates are expected to open on August 31 after the summer break.