Importance of Engaging Co-curricular Activities

Co-curricular activities are those activities that are undertaken alongside academic studies. Typically, co-curricular activities are administered outside the traditional classrooms but they supplement the academic curriculum and help in learning by doing. These activities help students to develop problem-solving, reasoning, critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaborative abilities.

Co-curricular activities in class could be compulsory like music, art, or drama classes that happen during the day. Others might be voluntary like participating during a school sports team, school debating teams, or student newsletters editorial team.
In the 21st Century, the planet is changing fast. the traditional education curriculum, which was developed within the early 20th Century, has got to pave the thanks to a replacement quite education and learning. within the book 21st Century Skills: Learning for all times in Our Times, the authors Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel have premised that “the world has changed so fundamentally within a previous couple of decades that the roles of learning and education in day-to-day living have also changed forever”.

In the book Five Minds for the longer term, the author Howard Gardner has outlined five specific mental abilities that can help one to achieve success and happiness. The five mental skills or Minds as composed by Howard Gardner are – The Disciplinary Mind (expertise in various subjects), The Synthesizing Mind (ability to integrate concepts from different disciplines to unravel a problem), The Creating Mind (ability to think creatively to unravel problems), The Respectful Mind (appreciation of the range in individuals), and therefore the Ethical Mind (fulfilling one’s duties and responsibilities within the society as a citizen).

Raghav Saxena

Birla School, Pilani