Primary school student Hassan Harouna spoke enthusiastically about his second year of participation in the Bahrain Ministry of Education’s 13th annual summer clubs programme.

“I have learned lots of things and I got to meet lots of new friends and we have fun all the time,” the 10-year-old student said, recommending that other children attend the clubs “because they are so much fun”.

The club activities Harouna signed up for this year include visits to educational and scientific centres as well as playing soccer, swimming and taking part in martial arts such as taekwondo.

The summer clubs programme, which began August 3rd and continues through August 28th, offers educational and recreational activities at 16 schools throughout the kingdom.

It seeks to provide a fun educational atmosphere for primary school students before they start the new academic year in September, said Aqeel al-Sayyed, head of the school clubs and school media department at the Ministry of Education.

The number of summer clubs has risen in response to increasing demand, he told Al-Shorfa.

“For the first time, the number of students in all the clubs has reached 2,800 compared with 2,400 last year, and we expect 3,000 in total this year,” he said.

The clubs enable students to receive academic, artistic, vocational or sports training free of charge with the help of 150 specialist teachers, he said.

These activities “strengthen their mental faculties and introduce them to the country’s different institutions in an effort to nurture a spirit of appreciation of these places”, al-Sayyed said.

“Summer clubs help young students acquire a variety of cultural, social and professional skills and meet their mental, physical and recreational needs within a sound educational framework that protects them from the negative effects of idleness,” he said.

New activities for students this year include lessons on how they can help their parents at home by baking easy cakes, arranging flowers and setting the table in addition to performing other household chores, as well as learning to draw and engage in other artistic activities.

Students also can learn to work with computer applications such as Photoshop and Microsoft PowerPoint, al-Sayyed said.

Building a stronger community

The clubs aims to foster a sense of community and build a team spirit, al-Sayyed said.

Efforts are under way to recruit university students to supervise summer club students, he said.

In addition to reinforcing a culture of responsibility among the older students, this will provide a training opportunity for students who are interested in pursuing a career in education, he said.

“Although the summer clubs are short, they are good at filling students’ spare time and they help them prepare for the new school year,” said Ali Harouna, an Arabic language teacher and father to Ali, a young student.

Students attending the clubs get to visit well-known touristic and recreational locations such as the Bahrain National Museum, al-Jasra Handicrafts Centre and al-Areen Wildlife Park and Reserve, he said.

“The summer clubs are a lifeline for many families who are looking for something useful for their children during the summer holiday, and it provides a safe recreational environment,” he told Al-Shorfa.

Bahrain’s school clubs are offered free of charge and provide free meals for students and air-conditioned buses for transportation, he said.

His son Ali had an “exceptional” experience at the summer club, he said, adding that Ali “cannot wait for the summer clubs to start every year”.