Education might start in the classroom, but that doesn’t mean that this is where it ends. Indeed, learning after school hours is just as important as the study of any curriculum. After-school activities carry an array of benefits that simply studying won’t provide. It’s therefore important to choose a school for your child that provides ample opportunities for them to participate in programs and activities after hours. Here are some of potential benefits that your child may get from such activities.
Better school performance
Several studies have shown that extracurricular activities for children improve academic performance, including study habits and raw grades. Children’s behavior is also improved, reducing the occurrence of negative social issues at school. This goes to show that a well-rounded development is key to creating a great student.
Improved health
In a time where obesity is a major epidemic and the health of our future generations is a major concern, getting your child into sports is one of the best ways to keep them healthy. Extracurricular organized sports will encourage physical activity and nutrition, and further research has shown that children who participate in such sports have better health.
Social development
Clubs and programs help children make friends and develop social skills, whether it’s the competitive nature of team sports, or collaborative work in an academic organization or one that caters to certain interests. These activities may also help children who are having trouble fitting in find a place where they belong.
Exploring passions and making learning more engaging
While any school worth its salt will strive to make classroom learning fun and interesting to students, there’s nothing quite like a child exploring a subject or topic on their own because they personally find it appealing. If they have the opportunity to join an extracurricular organization that caters to their interests, they’ll be able to explore subjects and fields in ways that truly engage them, and surround themselves with peers who appreciate the same thing. At the same time, they’ll also discover their passions in certain fields, and learn far more about them on their own than they could ever learn over the course of a standardized curriculum.
The right school provides the right opportunities
What does it take to have great opportunities for your child? Excellent instruction, diverse after-school programs, and elite facilities for students to use are a must to maximize the potential of after-school activities. At Swiss International School Dubai, students are provided with an amazing array of top-tier facilities on campus, including Innovation Labs that provide activities in robotics, programming, and other cutting-edge fields. Benjamin Cassaigne, Head of After-School Activities at Swiss International School Dubai highlights that the ‘ASA programme was designed to be as diverse as possible because we believe children need to explore their capabilities, test their skills, develop their talents, stimulate their interests and above all push their limits. That’s why our after-school activities include not only sports but also scientific, artistic, cultural, and creative activities.’ The school features partnerships with external providers for sports and various fields in technology. All these and more are designed to promote the holistic development of SISD’s students, through high-quality after-school activities that run the gamut from language courses and creative writing to sports clubs and robotics programs.
