Headmaster Suggests Seven Holiday Tasks Before Pupils Can Go Online
For parents who are worried that their children are spending too much time online, a school headmaster has suggested that seven holiday tasks are set before children are allowed to spend time staring at a screen.
Shaun Fenton is the headmaster of the leading Reigate Grammar School located in Surrey, and his task list is designed to be carried out every day by pupils before their parents let them disappear into the world of social media or reach for a computer game console.
Mr Fenton has suggested that parents charge their children with ticking off each activity from a set list before they earn their online privileges. The list begins with the essential task of getting up and out of bed – recognising that some pupils will simply reach for their digital devices before have even got up for the day.
The Offline Challenges
The next task is to get fully dressed and washed without being prompted by their parents. Then they must make their breakfast and eat it before clearing away their breakfast items. At this point, the challenge escalates, as they must go for a walk and take either their own dog or a neighbour’s before scheduling in some structured exercise such as a job, bike ride or swim.
Enjoying the Real World
The challenges don’t end there, however, as youngsters are still obliged to spend time in the real world for a little longer. Their next task is to play a board game with a friend or family member before they help out with an appropriate household chore such as emptying the bins and dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom or washing the car. Finally, they must devote some time to reading a book – a real paper book.
When these activities have all been completed, they may go online. If, of course, they still want to! Mr Fenton is a leading figure on the school scene and the chairman-elect of the respected Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, which is a representative body of the UK’s leading private schools, including Gloucestershire private schools such as https://hopelands.org.uk/.
He explains that his approach ensures that holidays mix up structured and unstructured play and development activity, ensuring that children learn to use their own initiative and creativity to make their own amusement rather than relying on digital screen time.
