Extracurricular experience
LIVING in today’s fast- paced, driven world is a challenge but growing up in it is a bigger challenge. The experiences young people are exposed to seem limitless, yet in Asia, their progress and ultimate success is judged by their academic progress.
It is often all about the number of A’s achieved and certificates earned. However, life is not designed around the same principles that guide academic prowess.
It is about manoeuvring through the challenges in life, and that is something that goes beyond the skills that their academics provide. This is where extracurricular activities come in.
When students participate in extracurricular activities, their communication skills are honed as they interact with others. Consistent involvement in extracurricular activities boosts their self- esteem and confidence.
As a result, they become better at handling setbacks and failures as their experiences make them mentally and emotionally stronger. Balancing their extracurricular activities and academic demands is not easy, but along the way they develop good self- discipline and time management, giving them an edge when joining the workforce.
When students are involved with extracurricular activities, their sense of responsibility and passion merge to inspire them to excel in all they do.
Parents who are concerned about their children being distracted from their lessons would be interested to know that studies show students are more likely to do better academically when they participate in extracurricular activities.
A number of these studies have even found that students participating in extracurricular activities are less likely to be absent from school.
As with all things, moderation is key. Filling a student’s timetable with only school, tuition classes and extracurricular activities w no downtime at all, can be detrimental as they become too tired.
They become unable to juggl their various commitments and find that their family time is reduced. Therefore, while they should be encouraged to pursue both their academic and non- academic interests, this should not result in them being swamped in activities and feeling overwhelmed. This would certainly not be beneficial.
elc International School strongly believes that students need more than just their academics to succeed in life and are keen to provide its students with a platform to develop their extracurricular interests.
As part of the school curriculum, students are required to select two different extracurricular activities every term. In addition to these allocated periods, they are also encouraged to join various activities after school to further their interests.
Across both the Sungai Buloh and Cyberjaya campuses, there is a wide range of activities to suit students’ interests and passions, including performing arts, sports, debate and public speaking, computing and programming and even community service.
Students are encouraged to explore their interests and their involvement with these various activities that support their drive for academic success and determination to go further in life.
In addition to the staff at elc, outside providers and specialists in the areas on offer are also called in to help support the growth of the students in its care and to prepare them for their next step in life.
At the end of the day, this is what education is and what elc represents; excellence in everything we do, loyalty to each other and commitment to continuous improvement. – For more information, visit www. elc. edu. my.