Good Education: Co-Curriculars And Extracurriculars

Having a good education is one of the most important requirements in such a dynamic world and as such, is a necessity. Are we giving our kids the best? That’s not particularly dependent on the price of their school fees or the location of the school or the kind of uniforms they wear but the quality of education they receive. How then can we quantify that? Let’s start with what education is in real sense.

What is Education? Education is simply acquiring knowledge by learning. We learn by what we see and hear and in some cases, taste, feel and smell. So, learning is not only particularly limited to the classroom. It goes far beyond; which is why your children need to be a part of co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

Co-curriculars and extracurriculars?

Co-curricular activities are activities that complement the learning experience. They help students to better understand what they learn in class. Such activities include: spelling bees, quiz competitions etc. Extracurricular activities on the other hand are those that go beyond the regular curriculum and are not directly related to your child’s academics. They usually have no academic credit and may not be sponsored by the school but are essential for a child’s all round development. Extracurricular activities include gymnastics, athletics,sports like football, basketball etc.

What kind of activities should they take part in?

‘What if these co-curricular and extracurricular activities have negative effects on them?’? An activity is not considered to be in this category if it brings danger to your child in any ramification and as parents, it is our duty to protect our children.

Examples of extra curricular and co-curricular activities are:

• Knitting and crocheting
• Photography
• Fashion design
• Music (singing and playing an instrument)
• Dancing
• Joining school clubs (chess club, press club, boy scouts, girl scouts, debate clubs)
• Football
• Swimming
• Gymnastics
• Martial arts
• Tennis
• Athletics
• Cooking
• Drama
• Drawing and painting

This is why you should give your kid more than formal education

There is the misconception that extracurriculars are not necessary. “Why would I let my kids run around on a football field?”, you may say. Here’s why:

They get to be creative: restricting your children to only formal education restricts them from thinking out of the box. All they can do is to obey commands. Sound like a robot? Yeahhhhhhh! Children should be allowed to be a part of activities outside the classroom as this would enable them to become innovative.

They get to acquire soft skills: soft skills are the immeasurable skills that every human should possess. Skills like emotional intelligence, leadership, team work, time management and strategic thinking begin to be harnessed when children are allowed to be part of these activities.

They get to stay fit and active: Children involved in extracurricular activities are healthier physically, mentally and emotionally than those who do not. I mean, they get to do fun stuff, exercise their bodies and minds and be the kids that they are. I would call that a win-win-win situation

They get to relieve stress: I know what you are thinking. Yes, children can get stressed too. And instead of indulging in social vices, they are able to feel less choked by involving themselves in productive activities.

They can find their passion: Allowing children to be part of extracurriculars can help them find what they really love to do and have a passion for. This can go a long way in defining who your child becomes in future; a success or a failure. We can only be really happy when we are doing what we love. Basically, your kids can discover who they really are.

It can keep them safe: Activities like swimming, martial arts, boys scouts, girls scout and so on teach your kids how to defend themselves when there is a threat.

It helps boost their confidence: Co-curricular and extracurricular activities help your children to develop their social skills which in turn will help boost their confidence. Knowing that they are good at something else outside the regular math and English they are being taught in school will give them this sense of achievement and let them know that they can be anything they want to be as far as they work hard and smart towards it.

Conclusion

Your child’s education is your responsibility as well as the school’s. Now, formal education alone is an imbalanced diet. We have to understand that it’s not all about books. Many parents are really skeptical about extracurricular activities because they think they would distract their child. The key here is moderation. This is the balanced equation

Education = formal education + extracurriculars

The skills and experiences they pick up will give them an edge over their counterparts when they apply for internships, jobs and even universities. Extracurricular and co-curricular activities help your children develop their innate talents. It also helps to instill values like perseverance, hard work, discipline, patience, leadership, self-reliance, and dedication in them. All this can determine their overall personality as individuals. The list of activities that can help develop your kid is limitless. Let us know if we missed any interesting co-curricular or extracurricular activities in the comment section below.