It is often easy to interchange the words of education and academics. Though they both inspire a picture of an intelligent and well-rounded member of society, the two words are not exclusive. Being the greater word, education is essentially a mixture of academic discourse coupled with the arts and other fundamentals of life such as science, maths, sociology, and philosophy.
Extracurricular activities are a window into a world of skill, social engagement, empathy, teamwork, compassion, endurance, and perseverance, all of which do not have to distract from academics. We sit down with Fiona Cottam from Hartland International School, who speaks about the power of after school activities.
Education is more than just the books and pages: it is about a child’s social and emotional development, their wellbeing and happiness and their sense of achievement. Extracurricular activities help you find your spirit and creativity, how to be expressive, and develop a passion for different facets of school life from politics and literature to sport and the arts.
‘Schools are microcosms of life’
We ran a democratic election in our primary school and the skills they learned ranged from political nuanced speech preparation, to how to stand up in front of peers and express their personal views on a range of whole school issues. They learned that even if you weren’t successful in securing the position, you have enhanced your public speaking, demonstrated strength and courage, and developed further their skills in planning and preparation.
Moreover, one of the most rewarding things our secondary year students do is their work with Autism Rocks. They’re developing empathy and compassion without even realising it and also a better understanding of human nature. They have witnessed first-hand how we’re all different yet how important a part we all play in society and they better understand the positive differences we can make to our world despite the challenges that individuals face.
“Co-curricular activities in schools encourage holistic development. Activities such as music, robotics, web designing, drawing, foreign language learning, playing music, etc, bring out the creative, curious, and critical thinking sides of students.”
Alka Yadav, the Head of Primary at Global Indian International School in Dubai.
‘It’s a window to a different world that doesn’t have to detract from studies’
As a parent of a 17-year-old boy, there is a greater and natural dependency on technology for young people, which means that social interactions don’t always happen the way they used to. Therefore, a participation where there is a sense of social engagement is incredibly important for the growth of a young adult.
I can understand why parents don’t want to distract their children from academic study if that is to be the end focus, but the most successful young people and adults are those who take full advantage of the opportunities that the schools of Dubai have to offer and actually participate in something that’s outside of their comfort zone.
A well-rounded education gives young people the opportunity to be successful, to learn and grow, to fail and sometimes hurt, but always the endeavour and the opportunity itself is where the best learning and growth happens.
A well-rounded education gives young people the opportunity to be successful, to learn and grow, to fail and sometimes hurt, but always the endeavour and the opportunity itself is where the best learning and growth happens.
Fiona Cottam is the principal at Hartland International School in Dubai.