The summer holidays are here. That means family vacations, shopping and staying at home and doing nothing, or summer camps and religious study classes, depending on the parents you ask.
Parents concerned with their children’s moral education prefer to send their offspring to religious camps, most of which are organized by schools.
“I always enrol my daughter in pesantren kilat [Islam study class]. This year is no exception,” bank employee Yoyok Yusus, 45, told The Jakarta Post recently, adding that the course was free.
“At least she can learn a lot from the course, because as a parent I don’t think I can give her enough religious knowledge.”
Ifa Siti Fatihah, a mother of three, shared a different view. She said it would be best for her children to spend quality time with their parents, and so was planning a family vacation to Bali for the holidays.
“We never actually have a plan for how the children will spend their holidays so we spontaneously come up with something,” she said.
Sixteen-year-old So Yeon, not her real name, said she had attended church summer camp every summer since she was a first grader.
The summer camp, primarily a Bible study course, also organizes prayer time and games, she said.
“I like to attend this kind of activity because I want to have experiences with my close friends,” she said.
“Unfortunately I cannot participate in the camp this year because I have to prepare for university.”
A second-grade student at state vocational school SMK 17 in Pondok Cabe, South Jakarta, Lilis Putri Sari said her only wish was to spend time with her friends at the Dufan amusement park in Ancol, North Jakarta.
“But it depends whether my friends can make it or not.”
She said when she wasn’t spending her time with her friends, she usually just stayed at home with her family, “so long as the holiday activities do not cost much money”.
Summer camps have yet to become popular in Indonesia, with the majority that are run organized by international schools.
Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH), an international school, said it ran a summer camp every year that was open to the public as well as the school’s students.
“This year, our international summer program runs from June 21 until July 23,” spokesperson of SPH Anita Purwanti said.
The program comprises various academic and nonacademic events, as well as sporting activities, she said. The purpose of the camp, she added, was to provide for the students the opportunity to gain meaningful experience and knowledge.
She added the program was also expected to help children to use their time productively and engage in character-building activities during the holiday. (gzl)
