Non-scholastic activity: An important part of education

Jyotishmita Baruah

(baruahjyoti1999@gmail.com)

Non-scholastic activity, also known as an extracurricular activity, is a combination of the Latin prefix extra- meaning 'on the outside and the word curriculum, meaning a running, course, career.' Something that is extracurricular is on the outside of your course or career. When you get involved in an extracurricular activity, you are going outside of what's expected. Extracurricular activities have always been considered as a matter of interest outside the books and regarded as something to be done in spare time and also as something which brings no "good marks". But it's time to burn the taboo and accept the fact that these activities are an important aspect of one's life which mould one's personality and levels up confidence. Education doesn't only means the knowledge being confined to the four walls of the classroom and the lessons being imparted by the teachers. Education also means 'not being ignorant' which means ' knowledge and we can only be recognized as knowledgeable human beings when we go outside the box, expand our barriers and try our hands at different things. These activities are necessary for the overall development of the students.

Sometimes when a school offers sports and extra activities parents do not allow their children to participate. Some students also feel that they do not need the activities. All they need is to concentrate on their books. In many schools, teachers have to convince parents to permit their children to participate in activities. Parents feel that extra activities will distract their children from their studies. Co-curricular activities are important just as academics. When a student is made to do academics and co-curricular activities then only a well-rounded development of the student is done. Students who participate in extra activities get better grades. This is because of the skills they learn from participating in different activities. Students learn to manage time, and organizational skills and improved self-confidence. Students also learn to express themselves in a better way. A student's self-confidence will improve once he achieves success through activities that he is really passionate about. Once a child's confidence improves, he will be more open to taking risks in all aspects of his life.

A partnership between teachers and families helps develop successful and well-rounded students. This partnership provides students with more opportunities to learn and grow from a larger range of viewpoints and life experiences. Through open communication and collaboration, parents and teachers create important opportunities for teens to develop social, emotional, and academic skills. School involvement makes a difference. The reality is that not all schools have the same resources. But the good news is that parental involvement makes a real difference in schools everywhere. We hope for a nation in which all young people have schools with the resources needed to educate and prepare youth. Whether your school has all it needs or deserves more, involved parents make a difference.

At the present time, we have seen a number of youngsters who have made our nation proud by bringing laurels in different fields starting from the Olympics to pageants such as Miss Universe. Had it not been for the parents and guides, they would have remained unrecognized and under peer pressure of securing good marks. One's excellence in extracurricular activities can take them a long way which sometimes just education cannot. We also need to mind the fact that not everyone has the urge to be a doctor or an engineer. Some people might have different dreams to pursue for which they might not be able to prioritize their students. In such cases, we must encourage them to pursue their career in their desired field and also take time to study. In this way, they won't feel pressurized and can excel at both.

The fact that most students realize the importance of participation in extracurricular activities is an alarming factor. There is a need to spread awareness about the positive effects of participation in healthy activities and how to keep a perfect balance between such activities and studies. This study does not take into account the individual intellect of the students. The study could have been extended for a more thorough investigation by selecting a greater sample set carefully having the same academic level and same programs. However, this research does not scope the behaviour of students towards their peers and society. This is an important area to be studied. Studying how individuals interact with other individuals in their community is a key variable to determine how participation in extracurricular activities affects the behaviour of students toward individuals outside their own social circle.