Student Should Be Encouraged to Participate in Extracurricular Activities

Students Should Be Encouraged to Participate 
in Extracurricular Activities

           Extracurricular activities can be defined as non-academic activities organised by the school to enhance personal development as well as provide a well-rounded education. All schools in Malaysia encourage students' participation in extracurricular activities.

           

           Regular participation has many advantages for students. The main aim of extracurricular activities is to educate students in non-academic subjects which are equally important in developing a well-balanced personality. They provide students with the opportunity to learn new skills in different areas such as carpentry, cooking, vehicle maintenance and environment protection.

           In addition, they also pick up mental skills such as creative thinking, problem solving, planning and organising skills. Limited time and resource may not allow students to master these skills. However, early acquisition of these basic skills helps students to define their interests, inclinations and talents in different areas and decide if they should further develop them.

           Besides skills, extracurricular activities also help instil values such as tolerance, discipline, honesty, humility and appreciation. Taking part in activities influences a students' opinions, beliefs and perception. A student involved in environment protection activities will develop an appreciation for nature and be less selfish of his time, effort and abilities as well as develop leadership qualities. 

           Another advantages of participating in extracurricular activities  is it allows students to fully capitalise on their leisure time. Their time is occupied with more focused and beneficial activities. It leaves them with little time for unproductive activities such as such as playing online games non-stop or spending too much time on Facebook. Parents too would have the assurance that their children's participation in these activities are helping them to develop into better persons.

         Extracurricular activities also provide students with the opportunity to socialise. Mutual interests often bring together students of different classes, ages and backgrounds. These pupils have to interact with one another. They have to learn how to complement each other and compromise to ensure projects they are involved in are successful. Interaction helps to build interpersonal skills and confidence to deal with different personalities as well as foster stronger relationships.

          Although participation in extracurricular activities can be time-consuming, the benefits one derives from these activities far outweigh any disadvantages. Character building, acquisition new skills, values and qualities as well as the formation of new and lasting friendships are just some of these advantages. Furthermore, the use of the leisure time for extracurricular activities discourage students' involvement in undesirable activities. As such, every student should participate in extracurricular activities.