A study shows that the traditional Sunday afternoon walk in winter and a day at the beach in summer are still a favourite pastime with Maltese families; however during the week children have a busy schedule of school-work and private tuition that leaves no space for free time.
School breaks do not permit for much physical activity and therefore children pass too much time seated in class, the study shows. Besides, children complain that they have too little music, art and drama at school. The study also shows that children’s after school hours are taken up by private tuition and activities which sometimes do not serve as a break for the kids, but as a supplementary boost for the child’s future career.
The Office of the Commissioner for Children yesterday launched a study by Dr Valerie Sollars, called Children’s Right to Play, a study of Maltese children’s perceptions on cultural and recreational activities.
The study deals with how children are recreating themselves; whether they have enough time for extra-curricular activities, how they are spending their free time, and the pressure children are dealing with in order to compete in the academic field and beyond.
The study was conducted among 6,000 children, aged seven to 14, in 31 primary and secondary church, state and independent schools.
Dr Sollars said the feeling within international fora is that there is too much academic pressure on children while schools are focus on academic subjects too much and allow too little time for extra-curricular activities. According to the findings, there are only one to two PE lessons allotted weekly, while the higher the classes are, the fewer PE lessons they tend to have.
She mentioned children who complained about the lack of music and drama lessons, where some schools lack peripatetic teachers in the subjects. Dr Sollars added that some schools do not have a gym and therefore are not equipped for providing indoor physical activities for children during rainy days.
She said that children tend to have their free time programmed for them. A good number are obliged to go to private lessons to compliment their schoolwork. She added that activities which are supposedly given as recreation have a competitive edge. As examples she cited football nurseries that tend to drop the children who do not show any promise. She added that parents have to put in financial efforts as most sports and artistic activities can only be provided against a payment.
Dr Sollars noted that children dedicate more time playing computer games and watching DVDs while more families opt for eating out at restaurants. However the traditional countryside walks during wintry Sunday afternoons and an afternoon by the beach during summer are still very popular.
Commissioner for Children Sonia Camilleri said the study proves scientifically what was already known, that is children are suffocated and are subjected to numerous pressures. She associated the lack of physical activity and children’s sedentary lifestyles with the growing problem of child obesity. She also referred to the recent Children’s Parliament where children asked for more recreational spaces and less private lessons.