Children get ready for summer camp programme

Details unveiled of annual activity camp across 70 schools.

ABU DHABI // Summer holidays in the capital will be a chance to learn for 22,000 public school pupils.
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) has announced the details of its annual Sayfuna Mumyaz programme (Our Summer is Special).
The camp, which begins on June 26 and runs for four weeks until July 21, will take place at 70 schools across the capital, Al Ain and Al Gharbia, for four hours a day, five days a week.
Children in Grades 2 to 8 will be able to take part in sporting activities such as shooting, ice skating, horse riding, scuba diving and Aikido martial arts classes.
They will also be taken on field trips to cultural sites during the programme.
"These activities are not only about reinforcing academics but to develop the children's talent and improve their skills," said Mohamed Salem al Dhaheri, the executive director of school operations at Adec.
He said there will be separate centres for male and female pupils who want to learn Jiu Jitsu. And some schools have been assigned to accommodate pupils with special needs.
High school pupils in Grade 9 to Grade 11 will be taking classes at higher education institutions that have partnered with the authority to teach English, IT and robotics, and prepare them for university study.
They will also have to submit a project after training at government institutions including Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.
Dr Tayeb al Kamali, the vice chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, said there were plans to teach more than 2,000 pupils during the summer.
"It will equip them with life skills and assist them with their university requirements," he said. "They will also be challenged in different ways to enhance their creativity."
The authority said the summer camp would also be open to Emiratis studying in private schools, and 10 per cent of the seats would be held for expatriate pupils.
Once enrolled, attendance was compulsory and pupils absent for two consecutive days would be replaced by other children on the waiting list, said Mr Dhaheri.
"Placement tests will be conducted and all pupils will receive training for the Common Educational Proficiency Assessment exam," he said.
Enrolment for the classes will open on June 19. Pupils can register their details at school, and schools will then be co-ordinated by Adec's regional offices to determine and assign activities to each child.
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