Often, there have been arguments on the need for extracurricular in a child’s life. While some agree that extracurricular activities are important in schools, others think schools should focus on academic activities.
However, the importance of extracurricular activities can never be overemphasized as it serves as one of the ways to reduce the stress that comes with regular academic activities.
Students go through various forms of pressure, and extracurricular activities help to keep students relaxed since they can’t be reading all the time. This article seeks to show you the importance of extracurricular activities in school life.
What are Extracurricular Activities?
These are activities that are not indispensable to the academic curriculum. However, play is a vital part of the educational environment. Most international primary schools in Singapore understand the importance of extracurricular activities hence incorporates them into their curriculum. Here are a few benefits of extracurricular activities to school life;
- Improved Academic Performance
Students acquire skills while participating in different extracurricular activities. As a result, it helps them to get good grades from their academic activities.
Extracurricular activities help students learn organizational skills, boost their self-confidence, and manage their time better. Even more, they get to learn how to express themselves better.
- Better Time management Skills
Extracurricular activities help students manage their time more effectively since they have to balance the activities and their academics. Students learn to keep themselves engaged and productive during their free time. The time management skills they learn will help them during the examination and their other endeavors in life.
- Opportunity to Acquire New Skills
One of the advantages of school life is that it provides students the opportunity to acquire new skills. Extracurricular activities allow students to gain leadership skills, time management skills, teamwork, tolerance, and team spirit, among others.
Students also learn new skills which are useful in school life. Students acquire skills like teamwork, time management, management of any activity, lead a group, and many more different skills. Students who participate in sports and other activities have better leadership skills and learn how to grow and build relations.
- Sense of Commitment
When students participate in an extracurricular activity, it helps them develop a sense of responsibility. They will have to learn to be committed to that activity they have chosen to be a part of.
- Provides a Break from Study
It can be a hit, draining, and exhausting to only focus on studying alone. Hence, extracurricular activities help to serve as a break from academic activities. Although people think these activities are just fun and a way to while away time, they are also a way students can learn and explore their passions.
One of the primary benefits of extracurricular activities is that it helps students be more productive. It reduces the time they would ordinarily have spent Infront of the television or using their smartphone.
- It Helps Students to Socialize
Extracurricular activities help students to make new friends and meet new people. It gives them an Oppo to interact with other students with different beliefs and capabilities, which creates an opportunity for them to learn.
More so, it allows students to expand their network, which will benefit them in the future.
- Higher Self-esteem
When you acquire knowledge and experience, you higher your self-esteem and confidence. As students participate in various extracurricular activities and achieve success, it helps them gain the capacity to pursue more challenging situations.
Furthermore, it helps to motivate students to develop their skills further and perform better. This boost in their self-esteem will also reflect in their academic performance and other aspects of their life.
Conclusion
All in all, there is a relationship between academic performance and extracurricular activities. This is because extracurricular activities help students develop several skills to help them get higher grades, higher educational aspirations, and a better attitude towards school and life.
Extracurricular activities are fun and help to ensure that your child is learning and happy.
