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What I did last summer: Went to school?
Çağla Tuğba Dortluoğlu, a child psychologist, stated that summer schools have started to become popular in recent years in Turkey. Speaking to Sunday’s Zaman, Dortluoğlu noted that parents who were financially able to do so sent their children to summer schools in previous years; however, thanks to some municipalities’ summer schools as well as various private institutions offering cultural and social activities, many parents from all walks of life are now able to enroll their children in summer enrichment programs.
According to Dortluoğlu the number of summer schools increases with each passing day in Turkey, and it is very good for children to become familiar with sports at an early age. “Many parents do not allow their children to play games with their friends outside as they see outdoors as unsafe for their children. Therefore, many children watch television, spend time on the computer or play video games as there’s nothing else for them to do inside their homes. However, summer schools are a great opportunity for parents as they offer adult supervision,” Dortluoğlu said. Dortluoğlu also added that parents should visit summer schools before they decide to enroll their children to see which one is best for their children’s social development.
Education Minister Nimet Çubukçu, who attended a report card distribution ceremony held at Ankara’s 29 Ekim Primary School on June 18, also underlined that students should spend time on cultural activities during their three-month summer break.
Dr. Hamza Yazgan, from İstanbul’s private Sema Hospital, said the summer break is a good time for children to explore both cultural and social activities. “Students are motionless during the school day; therefore, they generally put on weight in winter. On the other hand, they might lose weight in the summer if they are playing active games with their friends. As doctors, we believe that various summer school activities are beneficial for children’s health and social development,” Yazgan pointed out.
Some children spend their summer vacation working
While summer vacation means beach holidays or activity camps for many children, others spend their three-month school break working to help support their families.
As soon as 12-year-old Murat Yelboğa received his report card on June 18, he went to work in the Central Anatolian province of Konya. Yelboğa noted that it is not possible to spend his summer vacation playing games with his friends or going to resorts with his family, like many of his peers. “My father’s health is not good. He is suffering from cancer so he cannot work. I was working part-time while I was in school, but I now work all day during my summer break. In addition, my mother cleans people’s houses for money. People who want to be weighed with my scale give me 50 kuruş. All I earn is money for my family. I will continue to work for my family’s future, as they need my income,” Yelboğa said. Yelboğa noted that his father was very happy to see his good grades on his report card.
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