Co/Extra Curricular Activities

At Abhyudaya our focus is on the holistic development of the child. The notion of a sound body in a sound mind is not new and increasingly the positive effects of sport and the arts in relieving stress and increasing creativity have been lauded.

By redefining education, our school has shifted the focus from conventional teaching and learning to values-based learning and other innovative methods that are more learner-centric. Sport and the arts are excellent tools to teach values such as respect, co-operation, determination, unity, discipline, self-acceptance, patience and tolerance.

While no child will be forced to participate in any activity, all learners will be encouraged and motivated to participate in extra and co-curricular activities to stimulate a sense of adventure in trying out new activities and for the important life-skills that these activities teach.

Playing a team sport teaches team spirit and team dynamics. Understanding and negotiating the different temperaments and ability levels of themselves and their peers prepares the learner for working in teams in the corporate environment. It fosters strong leadership qualities and boosts learners’ confidence. It is also a means for self-reflection, enabling learners to reflect on their abilities or dedication to the sport. For ardent sports-lovers it teaches valuable Time-management skills and promotes decision-making. Here through their own choices learners discover that actions have consequences.

Similarly, losing a debate or an art competition or coming second in an Eisteddfod, teaches a child to accept failure as a normal part of life, instead of fearing failure because of ridicule and scorn. It teaches the valuable life-lesson that nothing is guaranteed and that we cannot win all the time or even that we cannot all be winners. It also teaches other qualities like winning gracefully, humility, being a “sport”, camaraderie and the rules of competition. Perhaps most importantly, it teaches that we can only reap what we sow and sometimes we need to participate only for fun – to make up the team.

Finally, we believe in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities as part of our curriculum because these activities teach our learners rules of engagement and healthy ways to let off steam and relieve stress. We believe that in introducing our learners to these activities we are equipping them with life skills guaranteed to improve the quality of their lives and extend their life-spans.