The National Parents-Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN) has urged parents and guardians to engage their children and wards with skill during the holidays.
The National Deputy Chairman of NAPTAN, Mr Adeolu Ogunbanjo, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
Ogunbanjo said that students currently on a long holiday should be occupied meaningfully to shun vices.
He said long holidays should be the best time to engage students in other aspects to boost their general knowledge.
“Parents and guardians must not loose their guards, particularly in this long holiday. As they go to offices or places where they run their business, it will, therefore, be a worthy idea to meaningfully engage them.
“It’s about one week that many schools vacated and I believe that students have rested. However, there is the need to expose them to skills that will keep them busy and boost their creative mind.
“There are lots of handiwork.
“Those in secondary schools can go for graphics, web designs, artworks, photography, musical instruments, barbing, plaiting of hair and making of weavon, phone/laptop repair and culinary skills, amongst others.
“It should not be a one-off thing but taking advantage of the holidays to enrol and introduce them to it, they will be looking forward to continuing whenever they are on break.
“It will also be part of efforts and measures to avoid them from being involved in vices or activities that will influence them negatively or get them into trouble.
“This will be an added advantage to them and even stand them out among their peers or mates who relaxed at home because they made judicious use of their time to improve themselves,” he added.
Speaking on the recent hike in school fees of Unity Colleges and public tertiary institutions in the country, he said that stakeholders were earnestly awaiting positive response from the Federal Government.
He noted that various associations, unions and stakeholders have made several appeals to the Federal Government on the development.
Ogunbanjo said the idea was to make fees affordable for parents and ensure that the students continued to enjoy quality education in the country.
“We are optimistic that our dear President Bola Tinubu, also a father, will hear us, intervene and reverse the fees to normal before the new academic session begins in September,” he said.
Source: News Agency of Nigeria