Parents of school-age children, listen up. Stop paying for summer day camps, music lessons, theatre, dance and art classes or sports practices at community centres or private organizations. Put that money into an RESP.

Those in the know are aware that the Ministry of Education pays for free summer classes through the Vancouver School Board. Included among the dozens of free courses are So You Think You Can Dance (grades 8-9), Sewing for Beginners (grades 8-9), Focusing on Tennis (grades 8-9), Primary Drama (grades 2-3), Focusing on Ice Hockey (PE 8-9) and Getting Ready for Grade 1, Getting Ready for Grade 4.

Getting Ready for Grade 4? Aren't you ready for Grade 4 when you complete Grade 3?

The bulk of these courses are free thanks to Victoria school trustee John Young, who successfully argued at B.C. Supreme Court that school fees were illegal. Prior to 2007, the VSB charged $425 for a 40-hour summer math class for instance.

But it appears Young's anti-fees fight has gone too far--perhaps even for Young.

Summer school has moved far beyond remedial classes for your son to repeat English 11 class or your daughter to repeat Math 10.

According to the ministry, parents wanted more choice and flexibility in education so the government acquiesced. The result is de facto year-round schooling--for some, not all. What happens if every student across the province from grades 1 to 12 wants to enrol in summer classes?

Young was "astonished" to learn about the free summer courses available at various Vancouver schools for students in Grade 9 and under.

The Victoria school district, he noted, only offers summer school for Grade 10 and up--for any student whether they failed a course or want to improve their grades, even if they have an 85 or 90 average. But don't expect to find So You Think You Can Dance summer classes in Victoria. No summer school classes are offered to students in Grade 9 or below because they are not needed to graduate, he said.

"There are no prerequisites to get into Grade 10," he said. "But you need Grade 10 math to do Grade 11 math."

According to the School Act, a school board must provide free educational programs. Great. But then, the act further states that the courses must meet the general requirements that lead to graduation. Perhaps the School Act needs fine tuning. I hope readers can sort me out.

When asked for his thoughts on taxpayers funding dance class or "Sewing for Beginners," Young responded, "What are they going to do next?" He surmised correctly these classes meshed with PE and Home Economics curriculum approved by the province. To use education speak, such courses have "prescribed learning outcomes."

According to a May 17 article in the Vancouver Sun, the Surrey school district cancelled some classes because of concerns that some families viewed them as free babysitting. Hardly surprising.

In an ideal, surplus-budget world that didn't include laying off teachers, librarians, teaching assistants and cutting programs during the regular school year, perhaps many of the courses offered in the 48-page VSB Summer Experience 2010 booklet should be free. It's certainly a better way to spend tax dollars given the questionable other ways the government spends our money. Must be great for teachers, too, who get a chance to earn extra money.

But it's unrealistic. Most of summer school's cost, which is a projected to be $4.8 million this summer, should be funnelled back into the regular school year to pump up what boards have cut back on.

Summer school should be for students who need extra help, such as ESL students, special needs kids and others who are failing or doing poorly in core subjects, as in scoring below 60 per cent. As it is now, any student in any grade can enrol in a free summer course--and they do. Vancouver summer school administrators assured me, however, that no student who needs to make up a course has ever been turned away, despite the massive spike in enrolment once fees were waived three years ago.

But how does Education Minister Margaret MacDiarmid square her now famous comments--"Rather than formal team sports, maybe people will be doing more walking or dancing or playing in the parks" when her ministry axed $130,000 from the B.C. School Sports budget last year--with paying for sewing, ice hockey or dance lessons in the summer?

And exactly what is the "prescribed learning outcome" for So You Think You Can Dance?

MacDiarmid was unavailable to answer that. Perhaps she's out throwing a Frisbee around, which is another free summer course.

fhughes@vancourier.com