Academics have always been considered the most crucial foundation for a child’s success and future endeavours. However, the question still arises if it is the only contributing factor to the child’s growth or if there is something more. Various studies suggest that extra-curricular activities are equally important for the holistic development of a child. Shraddha Oza, the ECA Coordinator of the Ashok Hall Group of Schools shares insights on why extra-curricular activities are as significant as traditional academics.

“Academics will only let you know about the subject, but how to approach it, how to develop interpersonal skills, organisational skills, leadership, team management; all these come from extra-curricular activities,” Oza emphasised. She further gave an example of preparing for a presentation. “If there’s no teamwork, no communication skills, how will one put up a presentation? This is where recreational activities come into play.”

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According to Oza, these skills are not only vital in school but in the professional world as well. Whether one enters the corporate sector or starts their own business, one needs to learn how to delegate work, manage people and think critically – skills that are not solely learned from textbooks.

“When we were in school, we had a mandatory sports period. Playing sports is important as one can learn discipline and sportsmanship,” said Oza recalling her school days. “Today’s kids don’t know how to fail. If they fail, they take it too much to heart. Parents aren’t teaching their children to fail.” She further highlights the importance of failure, “Failure is the primary step towards growth. If you don’t fail and learn to take it positively, you won’t be able to move forward.”

Oza also focuses on the shift in parenting styles, “As both the parents work today, they are not able to provide the proper time and attention that a child requires, instead they hand over a gadget to keep them busy.” This results in the further isolation of the child and also challenges the parent-child bond.

To address the problem, Oza suggests that at least one parent take a sabbatical for a short period of time, during the child’s early years, “It necessarily does not have to be the mother,” she clarified. “Father can also take the responsibility. The initial years are crucial in developing a child’s personality.”

Considering the dynamic needs in today’s world, Oza introduced new subjects in her school, “Most schools have dance, music, recitation, taekwondo; we added ‘Financial Investment’ and ‘Corporate Communication’ with it.” Introduced for Class 11 and 12, these subjects aim to provide students with the practical knowledge to deal with real-life scenarios.

“Financial literacy is important, as many students graduate without the basic knowledge of banking and investment,” Oza affirmed. According to Oza, financial investment emphasises how to save and invest money, understand stocks, and plan finances. On the other hand, by enriching students with knowledge on corporate communication, students learn how to write personal statements, apply to universities and handle interviews- skills necessary no matter where they study or apply for jobs. The other branches of the school offer subjects like content and blogging, to keep up with shifts in journalism and digital media; and entrepreneurship to teach students how to run business in the digital era.

To ensure that students make the right choice, the school gives the flexibility to explore different subjects before committing, “We allow students to try out the subjects from April to June. Sometimes students take up a subject due to parental or peer pressure, so we give them time to discover what they truly enjoy,” she claimed.

Oza shared how these subjects helped their students in a practical setting. “One of our students took part in a renowned school’s competition on ‘How to be a good manager?’ and won the first position.” She further added, “Later she wrote a letter thanking her corporate communication teacher. She wrote about how the classes helped her win the competition and gain confidence.” In another instance, a student surprised her father by giving investment-related advice that she learned in school. “Her father was shocked and now even asks for stock market tips!” she exclaimed.

While academics remain the cornerstone of education, recreational activities help in the all-round growth of a child. It fosters skills, such as creativity, teamwork and leadership. “Ultimately, education is not only about learning facts, it is also about implementing them,” Oza concluded.