POSITION PAPER ON HOLIDAY LESSON

POSITION PAPER ON HOLIDAY LESSONS: MERITS, DEMERITS AND THE NEED FOR A BALANCED APPROACH

                   BY

             CHIEF OKEDUSI A. B

1.0 Introduction

Holiday lessons refer to organised academic instruction, revision, coaching or remedial teaching undertaken by learners during periods officially designated as school holidays. In practice, it involves learners returning to school or attending organised classes during the holiday period for the purpose of revising previously taught topics, preparing for examinations, addressing learning gaps or getting ahead of the next academic session.

There is no doubt that learning should be a continuous process. However, the question that deserves serious consideration is whether the best way to sustain learning during holidays is to return learners to the classroom for prolonged periods, sometimes under compulsory arrangements.

This paper acknowledges that holiday learning has some educational advantages. However, it argues that when holiday lessons become excessive, compulsory and essentially a continuation of the normal school timetable, their disadvantages may outweigh their benefits.

The issue, therefore, should not be approached from the perspective of whether children should learn during holidays or not. Rather, the critical question should be:

How can we preserve learning during holidays without depriving children of the rest, recreation, family interaction, play and other experiences that are essential to their overall development?

2.0 Merits of Holiday Lessons

2.1 Revision of previously taught topics

One of the major benefits of holiday lessons is that they provide learners with an opportunity to revise what they have already been taught during the normal school term.

Revision is particularly important in subjects such as Mathematics, English Language and Science, where knowledge acquired at one stage forms the foundation for subsequent learning.

Research has established that learners can experience some decline in academic achievement during extended school breaks. Cooper et al., in a major meta-analysis of 39 studies, found evidence of achievement loss during summer vacation, with mathematics showing particularly noticeable decline.

This provides a reasonable argument for carefully designed revision activities during long holidays.

2.2 Reduction of learning loss

Holiday learning can help learners retain knowledge and skills acquired during the academic session.

Research on "summer learning loss" has consistently investigated the extent to which students lose some academic gains during extended school breaks. A recent scoping review covering 76 studies and more than 14 million participants found evidence of academic changes associated with extended summer holidays.

This suggests that some form of educational engagement during long breaks can be beneficial.

2.3 Opportunity to address learning gaps

The normal school timetable may not provide sufficient time for every learner to master every topic.

Holiday programmes can provide an opportunity for teachers to give additional attention to learners who have difficulties in particular subjects.

A learner who has struggled with fractions, algebra, reading comprehension or basic science, for example, may benefit from targeted remedial support.

2.4 Examination preparation

Holiday lessons can be particularly useful for learners preparing for major examinations.

Candidates preparing for examinations such as BECE, WASSCE, NECO and UTME may use part of the holiday to revise their work, practise past questions, improve examination techniques and seek clarification on difficult areas.

However, this benefit is strongest when the programme is targeted at examination candidates rather than imposed indiscriminately on all learners.

2.5 Academic preparation for the next session

Holiday programmes may introduce learners to some concepts that they will encounter in the following academic session.

Such preparation may help learners become familiar with new topics and make the transition into the next class easier.

2.6 Productive engagement

A properly structured holiday programme can provide learners with productive activities and prevent them from spending the entire holiday engaged in activities that may not contribute positively to their development.

However, "productive engagement" should not be interpreted to mean classroom teaching alone. Reading, sports, practical skills, creative activities, excursions, family responsibilities and community participation can also be highly productive forms of learning.

3.0 Demerits of Holiday Lessons

While the merits are important, there are compelling reasons why prolonged and compulsory holiday lessons deserve careful reconsideration.

3.1 They undermine the purpose of a school holiday

A holiday is intended to provide a break from the normal demands of schooling.

If learners spend most or all of their holiday periods attending conventional classroom lessons, the holiday effectively becomes another school term.

Education should not be measured solely by the number of hours a child spends in a classroom. A child's development involves academic, physical, emotional, social and creative dimensions.

The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasises that children need opportunities for free and unscheduled play and that play contributes to cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. It also warns against excessive academic and organised activities at the expense of free play.

3.2 Learners need adequate rest

Learners spend a substantial part of the year attending school, completing assignments, writing tests and examinations and complying with school routines.

The holiday provides an important opportunity for physical and mental recovery.

A learner who moves directly from one academic programme into another without sufficient rest may become tired and less enthusiastic about learning.

More classroom hours should not automatically be equated with better educational outcomes.

3.3 Excessive academic pressure may create stress

Where holiday lessons are compulsory and demanding, learners may perceive education as an unending cycle of school, assignments, tests and examinations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted concerns about hurried and highly scheduled childhoods, pointing to the importance of balancing academic enrichment with free, unscheduled time.

It stresses that excessive pressure to achieve may be associated with stress and anxiety in some children.

Therefore, the educational system should seek to create a healthy balance between academic achievement and the wellbeing of the learner.

3.4 Holiday lessons deprive children of play

Play is not a waste of time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics describes play as essential to children's cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing. Research reviewed by the organisation shows that play contributes to creativity, problem-solving, social interaction, emotional development and self-regulation.

The 2018 AAP clinical report, The Power of Play, further emphasises that developmentally appropriate play supports social-emotional, cognitive, language and self-regulation skills.

Consequently, replacing a substantial part of children's holidays with classroom instruction may deprive them of an important developmental experience.

3.5 Reduced family bonding

The holiday is also an opportunity for parents and children to spend meaningful time together.

During the normal school term, parents and children may have limited opportunities for extended interaction because of school schedules and work commitments.

Holiday periods can provide opportunities for:

family visits;

storytelling;

cultural activities;

household responsibilities;

community participation;

religious activities;

practical life skills; and

parent-child interaction.

These experiences are also educational.

The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that play provides valuable opportunities for parents to engage with their children and strengthen parent-child relationships.

3.6 Reduction in physical activity

Children require opportunities for physical activity and outdoor recreation.

If holiday lessons occupy the morning and afternoon hours, children may spend much of the day sitting in classrooms.

This is undesirable because physical development is an essential component of education.

Sports, games, walking, outdoor activities and other forms of physical activity should therefore have a legitimate place in a child's holiday.

3.7 Risk of learner burnout

Continuous academic engagement can lead to boredom and academic fatigue.

A learner who has just completed a demanding school term may require time to recover before returning to structured academic activities.

If learners are continuously exposed to academic pressure, the very objective of improving academic performance may be defeated because tired and disengaged learners may not benefit optimally from additional instruction.

3.8 Financial burden on parents

Holiday lessons may impose additional financial obligations on parents.

Apart from tuition or lesson fees, parents may have to provide transportation, feeding, learning materials and other expenses.

For families already struggling with school fees and household expenses, compulsory holiday lessons can become an additional burden.

This raises an important equity question:

Should a child's academic opportunity depend on the ability of the parents to finance additional lessons during every school holiday?

3.9 Possible widening of inequality

Where holiday lessons are privately organised and fee-paying, children from financially stronger families may have greater access to additional academic instruction.

Children from less privileged families may not be able to participate.

Consequently, a practice intended to improve academic performance could unintentionally widen educational inequalities.

3.10 Encouragement of examination-oriented education

Another concern is that holiday lessons may increasingly become centred on examinations rather than holistic learning.

Teachers may concentrate on:

past questions;

examination drills;

memorisation;

syllabus completion; and

techniques for passing examinations.

While examination preparation is important, education should go beyond examination success.

Schools should also develop:

creativity;

critical thinking;

communication;

problem-solving;

collaboration;

practical skills;

leadership; and

independent learning.

3.11 Teachers also require a break

The issue should not be considered from the perspective of learners alone.

Teachers also work throughout the academic year and require time for rest, family responsibilities, professional development and personal renewal.

A system that continuously schedules teachers for academic work without adequate breaks may affect teacher wellbeing and, ultimately, the quality of teaching.

4.0 The Evidence Does Not Support Simply Replacing Holidays With Another School Term

It is important to make a distinction between holiday learning and holiday schooling.

Research on summer learning loss provides evidence that learners may lose some academic ground during extended school breaks. However, this does not automatically establish that the best response is to make learners attend conventional classroom lessons throughout the holiday.

The American Academy of Pediatrics makes an important point: academic enrichment can be beneficial, but children still require free and unscheduled time.

Its 2018 clinical report states that play supports executive functioning, social-emotional development, language, cognitive development and self-regulation. The report was reaffirmed in January 2025.

Therefore, the objective should be to maintain a balanced developmental environment, rather than maximising classroom hours.

5.0 Recommended Alternative to Compulsory Holiday Lessons

Instead of completely abolishing holiday learning or making it compulsory for every learner, a more balanced approach is recommended.

5.1 Make holiday lessons targeted rather than universal

Holiday lessons should primarily be provided for:

learners with identified learning gaps;

examination candidates;

learners requiring remedial support; and

learners whose parents voluntarily request additional academic support.

There is little justification for requiring every learner to attend prolonged holiday lessons regardless of need.

5.2 Limit the duration

Where holiday lessons are organised, they should occupy only a reasonable portion of the holiday.

The majority of the holiday should remain available for rest, recreation, family interaction and other developmental activities.

5.3 Encourage reading during holidays

Rather than requiring learners to attend school every day, schools can provide reading lists and structured reading activities.

Reading for pleasure can maintain academic engagement without reproducing the full pressure of the classroom.

5.4 Promote project-based learning

Learners can be given practical holiday projects involving:

agriculture;

environmental studies;

local history;

science experiments;

community development;

entrepreneurship;

information technology;

creative writing; and

arts and crafts.

Such activities can make learning more practical and meaningful.

5.5 Encourage sports and physical activities

Schools and communities should encourage learners to participate in sports and recreational activities during holidays.

This would support physical health while developing teamwork, discipline and leadership.

5.6 Promote family-based learning

Parents can be encouraged to involve children in practical activities at home.

Children can learn through:

cooking;

gardening;

household budgeting;

shopping;

caring for younger siblings;

storytelling;

visiting places of historical importance; and

participating in community activities.

These activities develop practical life skills that cannot always be acquired in a classroom.

5.7 Introduce optional enrichment programmes

Schools may offer optional holiday programmes in areas such as:

coding;

ICT;

robotics;

mathematics enrichment;

reading;

creative writing;

music;

entrepreneurship;

public speaking;

vocational skills; and

sports.

This is preferable to simply reproducing the normal school timetable.

6.0 Policy Recommendations

It is recommended that education authorities consider the following:

Compulsory prolonged holiday lessons should be discouraged.

Holiday academic programmes should be targeted at learners who genuinely require additional support.

Schools should distinguish between remedial programmes and general holiday schooling.

Holiday programmes should be limited in duration and should not consume the entire holiday period.

Adequate provision should be made for recreation, sports, creativity and play.

Parents should not be subjected to unnecessary financial pressure through compulsory holiday programmes.

Holiday programmes should not be used as a substitute for weaknesses in the normal school system.

Schools should strengthen teaching and learning during the normal academic term so that holiday lessons do not become necessary to complete the curriculum.

Teachers should be given adequate rest during school holidays.

Where additional academic support is required, intervention should be evidence-based and targeted rather than imposed on every learner.

Schools should encourage reading, practical projects and home-based learning during holidays.

Education authorities should monitor holiday programmes to ensure that they promote learner wellbeing as well as academic achievement.

7.0 Conclusion

Holiday lessons have undeniable educational benefits. They can provide opportunities for revision, address learning gaps, support examination preparation and reduce some forms of learning loss associated with prolonged school breaks.

However, these benefits should not be used to justify turning every school holiday into another academic term.

The purpose of education is not merely to produce learners who can pass examinations. Education must develop the whole child intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and morally.

Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics demonstrates that play and unscheduled time contribute significantly to children's cognitive, physical, social and emotional development.

Similarly, research on learning loss during extended school breaks provides a legitimate reason to maintain some form of academic engagement during holidays, but it should be interpreted alongside the broader developmental needs of children.

The appropriate policy position should therefore be:

Holiday learning should be encouraged, but holiday schooling should not be allowed to consume the holiday.

A well-designed holiday should provide a balance of learning, rest, recreation, family interaction, physical activity, creativity and personal development.

The ultimate objective should be to produce not merely examination-successful learners, but healthy, creative, resilient, well-rounded and lifelong learners.

Selected Research Authorities

Cooper, H., Nye, B., Charlton, K., Lindsay, J., & Greathouse, S. (1996). The Effects of Summer Vacation on Achievement Test Scores: A Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review. Review of Educational Research, 66(3), 227–268.

Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191.

Milteer, R. M., Ginsburg, K. R., & Mulligan, D. A. (2012). The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bond: Focus on Children in Poverty. Pediatrics, 129(1), e204–e213.

Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2018). The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children. Pediatrics, 142(3). The report was reaffirmed in 2025.

These authorities provide a useful evidence base for arguing for a balanced holiday policy rather than the wholesale rejection of learning during holidays.