Online Reporter
ALTHOUGH a number of private schools have already closed for the mid-year holidays, the second term officially comes to an end tomorrow.
As usual, the August holiday break is a key period for exam classes, those Grade 7, O Level and A Level students whose end of year examinations start in October.
The break offers a pivotal window—not just for rest, but also for thoughtful academic planning.
With support from their parents or guardians, it is important for students to appreciate the importance of using the August holiday to rest and rebuild energy despite the pressures of looming exams.
The idea behind these holidays is to let students recuperate as mental rest, physical activity, and unstructured downtime are essential for long‑term academic stamina.
It is equally important that students take the time to reconnect with family, get enough sleep, and enjoy leisure moments as well.
For parents and guardians, it is important to encourage students to take the opportunity and explore non‑academic interests to refresh the mind and nurture creativity as experts say these traits strengthen exam performance as well.
Back to the preparations, the exam students are encouraged to come up with a balanced self‑study plan to try and address identified gaps. Depending with the situation, one can plan around reviewing past examination papers, having daily revision blocks and also using active learning methods to get ready.Others can come up with group revision or study circles with fellow exam students to discuss and solve problems collectively and promote deeper understanding.
But while the exam students can plan and prepare on their own, August always revives the longstanding debate regarding holiday lessons, which come in form of extra paid tutoring sessions offered during school breaks.
Last month, Government authorised schools to conduct vacation lessons for examination classes as part of efforts to enhance syllabus coverage and improve learner preparedness.
In a circular to school authorities, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has given the green light for Grade 7, Form Four and Upper Six pupils to attend a supervised 10-day learning programme scheduled from 18 to 29 August.
The lessons are intended to provide focused academic support ahead of final examinations, in line with the Ministry’s strategic goal of improving learner outcomes.
The decision aligns with the ministry’s broader learning approach under the Heritage-Based Curriculum, which encourages a blend of self-directed learning and teacher-facilitated instruction.
In justifying this exercise, schools argue that teachers often use holiday lessons to cover content missed during the term, reinforcing difficult concepts right before exams while small classes can help weaker students catch up or polish weak spots.
But given that these lessons are mandatory, they tend to be a financial burden on families, especially low‑income families who actually struggle to pay the normal school fees.
Already, there is suggestions that schools and their teachers sometimes favour paid holiday lessons because they boost their income, not necessarily because they are necessary.
This also creates equity concerns as those who cannot pay miss out and the arrangement disadvantages poorer students.Even for those who can afford, students lose precious recovery time, which can lead to fatigue and reduced motivation as exams approach.
