Extracurricular Activities in Schools and Colleges
Schools and colleges need to offer these activities in order to help students gain confidence and to enhance their well-being. A study was conducted at the University of Lahore and concluded that academic performance and self-concept of students participating in extracurricular activities is improved. A research conducted in UK in 2013 suggested that participation in extracurricular activities has a positive relationship with student academic performance amongst teenagers.
The Managing Director (MD) Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC), Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor Khan is making efforts to promote tourism by offering discount packages for students of Pakistan. He added, “We are going to sign MOU with different universities like COMSATS, Superior and Punjab University. We also met with the Private School Associations so that the students of the Universities and Schools could play their role for the promotion of extra-curricular activities in addition to education.” (01st March 2018)
In Netherland after-school activities are offered as an alternative to extracurricular activities. According to Christine van de Poll of Basisclub, an after-school club near Amsterdam, such clubs are a productive way of utilizing the afternoon. Research has proven that these activities enhance mental and physical well-being of students. Such clubs aim at improving social skills and confidence and offer academic support.
A study was conducted at the University of Arizona by Chris Segrin in 2017. It revealed that students are stressed, feel lonely and experience low levels of mental and physical health if their social skills are poor. They are at a risk of suffering from depression, obesity while some start smoking. A 2014 census proved that extracurricular activities help students to acquire skills to face the world confidently:
Source: https://elearninginfographics.com/value-extracurricular-activities-infographic/
In Pakistan the trend for extracurricular activities, after-schools clubs and activity clubs is an emerging trend. Schools and parents realize its importance and are working together to make these facilities available to the students. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of these opportunities for all parts of the society. Most of these facilities are quite expensive and/or are not within the reach of every household. For example, some clubs are so far away that parents will have to either make transport arrangements themselves or there is no public transport available in their locality to take their children to the club. Overall the cost of taking your child to these clubs can be an added cost to the club fee. Further, homework from schools does not permit students to take out time for such clubs. Schools offering extracurricular activities often charge an additional fee for these activities.
Schools and colleges in Pakistan that are known for promoting a complete educational package i.e. academic and grooming of their students:
Lahore
Lahore Grammar Schools (JT-Defence-1A1-Paragon)
Karachi
Mama Parsi Girls’ Secondary School
Islamabad/Rawalpindi
Froebel’s International School
Beaconhouse School System (Margalla Campus)
Quetta
Beaconhouse School System (Juniper)
Peshawar
Beaconhouse School System (Hayatabad)
Army Public School Warsak Road, Peshawar
