Africa
Summer School Is Trash – Here’s What Children Should Really Be Doing -By Aku Uche Henry Jr
This is why parents, guardians, and the wider community must be intentional. Instead of enrolling children in yet another round of classroom repetition simply to “keep them busy,” we must help them grow. We must position them to become not just book-smart, but life-smart.
For many parents, guardians, and even schools, “summer school” has become a default ritual: once the long vacation begins, children are signed up for another round of English, Mathematics, and classwork—essentially an extension of the same routine they just completed in the previous term.
As a teacher, I say this without apology: the traditional concept of summer school is outdated and ineffective. Before you protest, hear me out.
A truly well-rounded education must go beyond literacy and numeracy. Children should not only learn to read, write, and pass exams; they should also acquire financial literacy, practical skills, moral grounding, creativity, and exposure to real-world experiences. Yet, summer school as we know it simply repeats the motions: revisions of the last term and a light introduction to the next. No innovation. No experience. No real growth.
Meanwhile, the world outside the classroom is evolving at breakneck speed. Technology is advancing, businesses are transforming, and skills that guarantee relevance in tomorrow’s workforce are emerging daily. Long vacations like summer should therefore be a golden opportunity—not to repeat schoolwork—but to help children acquire real, tangible, life-enriching skills.
Imagine a summer where children learn tailoring, fashion design, hairdressing, carpentry, phone repairs, baking, photography, wholesale trading, or digital skills like programming, graphics design, animation, cyber security, or web development. Imagine them interning with a jeweller, assisting a vendor at the market, learning Photoshop, or experimenting with AI tools. These experiences broaden their minds, build confidence, and teach responsibility—far more than another worksheet or dictation can.
To be fair, there is one group for whom academic summer prep is necessary: SS2 students moving into SS3. With WAEC, IGCSE, and NECO on the horizon, they need targeted academic reinforcement. But for every other child, the long vacation is a rare chance to develop skills formal schooling often neglects.
This is why parents, guardians, and the wider community must be intentional. Instead of enrolling children in yet another round of classroom repetition simply to “keep them busy,” we must help them grow. We must position them to become not just book-smart, but life-smart.
Summer school as we know it adds little value. Summer skills, on the other hand, prepare children for a future where competence, creativity, and adaptability matter as much as certificates.
Next summer, let’s choose growth over routine. The future will thank us.
