Help! The holidays are back
By Tania Fernando
It's school holiday time once again. The stress
of term-tests behind them, children are looking forward to relaxing, having
fun and playing games. Yet, the options open for recreation are limited
and
barely a week passes before parents hear that familiar cry, 'Ammi,I'm bored!!...."
How to keep their children happy, occupied and entertained during the
holidays is often a parental headache. For most working mums, time is limited
and office commitments do not permit more than a couple of days off to
take kids on excursions to the Zoo, the Museum or Millennium Park or trips
to see the Perahera, as the case may be.
What then happens is that children spend their time glued to the TV
and computer. At the end of the holidays, parents look back with a sigh
and reflect that little, if nothing had been done to keep them gainfully
occupied or towards improving their knowledge.
"I would like the kids to learn things like art and swimming for
a couple of hours a day. At present there seems to be nothing that really
caters to young kids-Activities which they would enjoy but perhaps, also,
improve their concentration. What I would like to see are some courses
for them to broaden their horizons, may be help them discover that they
have some hidden talent," said Mrs. Shirani
Kapuwatte, a mother of three children aged nine, seven and six.
Ms. Kapuwatte, like many other parents reflected on the changing times
and interests.
Unlike their parents in their youth, children now have little patience
with the simple joys of making mud pies in the garden. Kids today, she
said, don't seem keen on pastimes that absorbed previous generations like
scrabble, jigsaw puzzles and board games.
Craft activities that most children enjoy are hardly ever tailor-made
to fit holiday times. "Little kids are keen on things like cutting,
pasting, drawing etc, but there seems to be no one actually catering to
their needs," Mrs. Kapuwatte said.
Some parents are eager to see their children take up sports and outdoor
activities during the holidays. Summer camps, where the kids could be on
their own for a couple of days and learn to do things while common in most
Western countries are unheard of here. These enable children to enjoy fishing,
biking etc. and also learn basic skills like setting up tents and cooking.
Having to survive outdoors for a few days, helps them become independent.
"My children have so much energy, that I have to find them activities
that would keep them busy," said Mrs. Nilika Jayamaha, mother of four,
who said she would welcome such opportunities for them to have an enjoyable
break.
"At present there is nothing to do. Either we take them for lunch
or let them watch TV. I encourage my eldest son who is 15, to get his friends
together and play cricket. At least then, they will be tired by the end
of the day," she added.
But the present climate in the country, had some parents doubtful about
pursuits that would take them away from home. Rohan Weerasooriya, a father
of a 14-year-old boy said that he would not want to send his son on camp,
unless of course he knew that it was organised by a reputed outfit whom
he could trust with regard to his son's safety. "With the things that
are happening in schools right now, I would think twice about sending him
out," he said.
Another parent Mrs. Chandani Kirinde said that what she wanted was something
that would keep her six-year-old son occupied, but would also be motivational.
"It does not have to be where he will be studying all the time, maybe
some place where he can make some friends, and have some fun, but at the
same time do some schoolwork so that he won't forget his studies too,"
she said.
So much for parental wishes.
What do the kids like? The majority we spoke to seemed to be really
tuned into modern technology and said that they like computer games and
surfing the web. "I like playing computer games, reading and maybe
going somewhere," said 12-year-old Rasangi, who also enjoys music
and plays the organ quite frequently.
Christina, 7, said that she liked to play and enjoyed activities like
drawing, writing and handicrafts.
15-year-old Shehan said he enjoyed going bowling, playing computer games
and checking web sites. "I wish there were places like Disneyworld
where we could go to. There are no fun things to do here," he said,
echoing the lament of many teenagers.
The opinion varies depending on the age, but what was most common was
that they liked computer games.
It seems the time has come when schools and private institutions should
look at the possibility of organising more activities, singing, drama,
clubs for various board games etc so that those whose interest lie in such
areas would be able to spend their time in a useful manner.
While modern technology has certainly helped, it is debatable whether
it moulds children into well-rounded people with a range of interests and
life skills.
What's on offer for children:
The Ladies College Department of Vocational Studies will be conducting
creative art classes and yoga classes for children from the ages of 4 -
14 and 7 - 14 years.
The art classes will be over a period of five weeks (10 lessons) and
the yoga course over five sessions.
The other option for children between 7 - 15 years who are keen on learning
more about computers is the course conducted by the American College of
Higher Education. This aims to teach them basic programmes like Word, Excel
and Windows. Though this course starts during the holidays it continues
for a period of three months
The Vision School of Art and Crafts will conduct art classes and handwork
classes for children over six for a period of two weeks. That, while keeping
them occupied gives them time to relax and have fun too.
The British Council will be conducting a five-day English course for
children between 8 - 14 years. They plan to teach English using games and
activities.
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First
signs of a rethink on immigration- at last
It may have been the Dover tragedy in which 58 Chinese trying to enter
Britain illegally were found dead in a truck. It might well be that Britain
realises it needs innovative talents and professionals to make the country
economically and socially competitive with most of Europe.
Whatever the reason Britain- or rather the ruling Labour Government-
has at long last stirred from its supine slumber. Last week Immigration
Minister Barbara Roche said in Paris that it was time to begin a debate
on finding ways to meet "legitimate desires to migrate" to Britain.
It was a rather curious phrase to adopt. If it did not raise sufficient
eyebrows among thinking people in human rights and immigration circles,
it certainly should have.
Who, for heaven sake, will have illegitimate desires to migrate? Some
might want to migrate for political reasons, some for economic reasons
and still others because they want to be united with family already living
in the country to which they wish to migrate.
Whatever the reason it is legitimate from the standpoint of the would-be
migrant. His or her desire is legitimate. The method chosen to achieve
that end might not be legal or even desirable. But can the legitimacy be
denied?
Unfortunately - and successive British governments must accept the responsibility
for this - it was the Immigration Ordinance of 1971 and subsequent laws
passed by Westminster that withdrew British citizenship or the right to
reside in Britain from millions of former colonial subjects. This is what
created this issue in the first place.
In my last article I referred to inhabitants of Diego Garcia in the
Chagos archipelago, about 1200 miles southwest of Sri Lanka who were taken
away from their homeland and dumped in the Seychelles and Mauritius, losing
their right to live in the British-owned territory.
The British, similarly, played dirty with the people of Hong Kong, for
instance, withdrawing their legitimate right to British citizenship, leaving
many minority peoples living in Hong Kong stateless. It was only after
much agitation and persistent representations to successive British administrations
that most of them were granted the right to enter Britain.
By amending existing laws or introducing others, British governments
of the day deprived so many people of the right to live in Britain. Today
those who strongly oppose what they call "bogus asylum seekers"
because of the perception that Britain is a soft touch seem to have conveniently
forgotten that Britain had deprived millions of former colonial subjects
of British citizenship which they were entitled to under law until then.
The Conservative Party looking for issues with which to whip up the
growing zenophobia in Britain, has found the asylum question a god send.
Had the vast majority of asylum seekers entering Britain been white caucasians
with whom they have a cultural or religious affinity, the Briton's reaction
would have been more tolerant.
But the Rumanian Gypsies and the Kosovan Muslims, besides the Africans,
Chinese and Asians, are not close enough to the British, even though they
come from Europe, for the average Briton to put out the welcome mat for
them.
So all asylum seekers are seen as economic refugees out to make the
best of a rather lax asylum policy and even more lax procedures which take
months and even years to rule them in or out.
The result is that even the genuine refugee running away from persecution
or threats to their lives by governments or other repressive and ruthless
groups is met here with increasing suspicion and even revulsion.
The rise in race-related crimes and incidents, especially against blacks
and Asians, even by the police, has led commissions of inquiry and responsible
ministers to speak about institutionalised racism.
I've met many people here, both Sinhala and Tamil, who are extremely
critical of the public attention aroused by asylum seekers from Sri Lanka
and the subcontinent. This is not just because they too are called to pay
higher taxes to the local councils in areas where asylum seekers are housed.
It is also because ethnic minorities become the focus of public attention
and racial taunts and slurs by white racist elements become common occurrences.
Apparently the British authorities who are inclined towards the idea
of allowing some economic migration are looking at the Canadian scheme
which enables professionals and skilled workers to get a permanent resident
visa in Canada even if they do not have a job offer from a prospective
employer. The Canadian scheme is based on a point system and is considered
an improvement on the American Green Card scheme.
Certainly there are benefits to Britain-or for that matter any developed
country- in such a scheme. The country of origin of the would-be migrant,
which is generally a developing country, spends for the education, health
and other social needs of the prospective migrant. Then the richer country-which
has not spent a penny on that individual- pays higher wages and takes him
in.
While the would-be migrant would naturally jump at such an arrangement,
it seems the developing world again finds itself on the poorer side of
the bargain.
One also needs to look at the reactions of the people of the country
that attacts such professionals with higher wages. With signs of racism
already on the increase will the employment of racial minorities from different
cultural and religious backgrounds add to the existing tensions?
However welcome such a scheme might be in the thinking of many, would
minorities already resident consider it a high price to pay in the long
term.
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