Abu Dhabi: The phenomenon of summer learning loss does not appear to concern most educators in the UAE, who stress on the importance of a prolonged break from academic rigour to promote overall childhood development.
To say a long break leads to learning loss points to a superficial understanding of how knowledge is absorbed, said Simon Corns, headmaster, Brighton College Abu Dhabi.
“A long holiday provides children with a chance to explore their interests outside school, and pursue activities they would not have time for during the term. And the key to making a school break beneficial is parental engagement,” Corns said.
“As long as parents make time for their children and remain involved, they will continue learning. Education is not restricted to just the classroom,” he added.
Travelling, spending time with family and friends, and developing new skills, all contribute to children’s overall wellbeing. In addition, reading books unrelated to academic work help make children’s vocabulary richer, while music classes can promote intellectual growth and manual dexterity, he said.
According to Neetu Sunil, counsellor, The Model School Abu Dhabi, holiday assignments set by schools can also help students stay abreast of their learning during the summer, especially as learning loss, when it occurs, is mostly seen among low achievers in areas where children have been struggling during school.
- Simon Corns, Headmaster
“To combat [summer learning loss], we discuss with parents how they can help their children during the holidays, and highlight any subjects or concepts where they might need additional coaching. Even a little bit of time spent on picking up these concepts can help children become when school restarts after the summer,” Sunil said.
“The important thing is to ensure that these assignments don’t become a chore as this could set the wrong tone,” Corns added.
There are also added benefits for a long summer break for children in the UAE, as many families use the time to travel back home or go for trips abroad.
“After the summer, we have many students returning with new skills, including martial arts, music, and yoga, and this underscores the importance of time away from school for overall development,” said Sunil.
Corns also added that skills like manual dexterity may recede slightly during the summer among younger children, but that parents can overcome this by encouraging children to take up activities like block building, painting and calligraphy.
