Reenergizing summer activities for schoolchildren in the southern Urals

07.08.2013 — Analysis

Over 230,000 children leave the cities to spend their holidays at camps.

More than 80,000 vacation vouchers were distributed to the youngsters from the needy families. Overall, the Chelyabinsk region spent over a billion rubles of public money to organize its 2013 summer campaign.

More than 800 sites for health and recreation, including 73 camps in the countryside, host young residents of the southern Urals during their holidays. Over forty of them are municipal, while the others are owned by private companies and agencies. All the institutions receive funding from the regional budget.

 "We have large cities here, and it's very important that the children get a chance to relax and enjoy nature. Annually, the region contributes 670 million rubles of public money. The companies that list the camps on their own balance sheets help out to a certain extent, as do the municipalities. The total amount comes to slightly more than a billion rubles," noted Governor Mikhail Yurevich. He stressed that the Chelyabinsk region offers more organized children's recreation than most other regions in the Russian Federation.

The Chelyabinsk Regional Ministry of Education and Science told RusBusinessNews that 127 sessions with different themes have been arranged, geared toward the comprehensive development of the younger generation - 24,000 young residents of the southern Urals have enjoyed leisure activities with a specialized focus. "Traditionally, these types of events are popular with parents, because the child has the opportunity not only to relax in the picturesque countryside of the southern Urals, but also to enhance his store of knowledge and skills," observed Irina Anfalova, the head of the department of student development, continuing education, and socialization at the Ministry of Education and Science.

She noted that the most popular academic and athletic sessions were: "Summer Lightning - Safety School" and "Dialog of Cultures." This year also marked the launch of a new program, known as "Mother and Child," which is intended to make it possible for children with physical disabilities to leave the cities to attend camp. An individualized rehabilitation program is designed for each child, and the parents are taught skills that enable them to help their disabled child at home. The first groups attended sessions at six pilot sites.   

In addition, a camp in a natural setting that is also a hierarchical subdivision of a Chelyabinsk school operated successfully, making it possible to combine education, leisure, and physical recreation in an optimal way. Psychologists and speech therapists also work with the children. There are no difficulties finding personnel - the camp's teaching staff includes schoolteachers, and camp counselors are recruited from the Chelyabinsk Academy of Culture and Arts. "There are very few such institutions in Russia, and so the experience of the southern Urals will be of interest to other regions," stated Galina Sukhoveyko, the director of the interregional public organization, Promoting Children's Recreation.

Another innovation in the Chelyabinsk region is a camp for children who are recovering from cancer, which began operating with the support of the regional government and the charitable movement known as Iskorka (‘Little sparkle’), and which is based at the Kusa social and rehabilitation center. Here, young cancer survivors can regain their strength and obtain the psychological rehabilitation they need in order to return to normal life. An experimental visit was set up for 54 children and six parents.

One of the camp's features is that orphans with physical disabilities stay at the camp along with the youngsters who are recovering from serious illnesses. They quickly find they have a lot in common. The camp counselors are confident that all the children can overcome their internalized fears and reveal their talents. A variety of workshops and competitions inspire the young students who are under the instruction of artists, actors, and athletes.

In addition to the substantive component of the children's recreational activities, safety is a priority for these young residents of the southern Urals. In 2013, 15 million rubles were spent on fire-safety and security precautions in the camps. In addition, the children are insured while attending the sessions. Beach areas are very carefully equipped in order to prevent accidents in the water. Medical aid teams are stationed within close reach in order to provide first aid, if necessary.

Travel costs, which currently average 15,600 rubles, are another pressing issue. However, parents are given subsidies, which are independently set by each municipality but are capped at 9,500 rubles, to reimburse them for some of the expenses.

The region has decided to develop a normative guideline for calculating the cost of children's recreation. "Currently, the institutions themselves set the price for their holiday packages, and parents often have no idea what services their child will receive. The guideline will clarify this situation, make the specifics of the children's recreational program more transparent, establishing the price of the holiday package depending on the educational programs and facilities offered at the camp," explained Alexandr Kuznetsov, the minister of education and science.

The government of the Chelyabinsk region is making every effort to allow schoolchildren to have a proper holiday in their native environs. "Currently in our region, recreational opportunities are offered to more children than is typical in our country, and we are committed to increasing this figure each year," asserted Irina Gekht, the region's deputy prime minister. The government is looking for opportunities to reopen camps that have been closed down and to develop year-round recreational opportunities for children.

Lyudmila SOLODKOVA