The escalating pressure of proving academic excellence coupled with technology-dominated recreation has made children lose interest in hobbies and other enrichment activities. An extracurricular activity (ECA) or extra academic activity (EAA) or cultural activity is an activity, performed by students, that springs outside the realm of the standard curriculum of a school, college or university education. Extracurricular activities offer a network for reinforcing the lessons cultured in the classroom, offering students the prospect to apply academic skills in a real-world context, and are thus considered part of an accomplished education.
Recall the movie 3 Idiots? It’s high time that we draw some inspiration from that epic movie. Today, an increasing number of educational institutes, especially the ones with an international focus, is challenging the realm of the conventional education system and encouraging alternative activities such as sports, cookery, music, dance, martial arts, art & craft, yoga, etc in their curriculum. Result-oriented education forms the core of a child’s school life and is a crucial tool to equip with knowledge, but equally important are extracurricular activities that inculcate real-world skills in children and blossom their personalities.
Below mentioned are the significance of extracurricular activities :
1. Offers a break
All play and no work makes Jack a dull boy. It’s good for children to concentrate on academics but it also results in stress and boredom. Hence, there is nothing better than to engage them in extracurricular activities to give them a much-needed refreshing break from studies and restore their ability to retain knowledge.
2. Enhances self-confidence
Irrespective of the fact, whether the children like to write or paint or play cricket, being appreciated for something other than academics will upheaval their self-esteem as well as mood. A confident child is better equipped to take on real-life challenges with vigour.
3. Advances intelligent skills
While children indulge in rote learning through books only, it leaves no place for developing thinking skills. Extra-curricular activities enhance critical thinking, especially when they are posed with various challenges and have to find suitable solutions within those situations. The children learn to apply their classroom learning to other real-life situations, analyze, synthesize and evaluate the posed challenges and arrive at suitable solutions.
4. Brightens up the unseen talent
Academics are typically an acquired flair, however, every child is gifted with an unusual talent. Extracurricular activities encourage children to bring out their talent in the limelight and give it wings in the right direction..
Integrating extracurricular activities with a children’s academic life can also help children to manage their time and set priorities and widen their perspective about the world at large. Many students who excel in the non-academic field also get special scholarships and better chances of securing admissions into universities.
Academics and extracurricular activities go hand in hand to raise well-rounded individuals and independent learners. We must provide our children with an atmosphere that nurtures their overall character and not just academic development.
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