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Writer's pictureSetrida Chikwense

More Than Paper, Pencils and Books

Little has changed in our public primary school education system. Students today face the same challenges which other students faced ten years ago .The usual issues being lack of learning tools, as well as bad classroom conditions. Things are constantly changing all over the world, including climate, technology, skills, job requirements and so on, but public schools continue to lack the ability to adapt to these changes.


While on the other hand, private schools are continually changing their teaching approaches, integrating new subjects, and, most importantly, investing in extracurricular school activities. Most private schools set aside funding and time for extracurricular activities, widely acknowledging the importance of these activities in students' education and outside lives. We see children of different ages in these private schools proudly dress up for career days, where renowned individuals from various professions are invited by the school to speak to the pupils about various career options.


These extracurricular activities also include sports (swimming, football, and so on), educational clubs such as debate, science wildlife, arts (theatre, painting, singing, and poetry), and multicultural organizations (where students can learn other local languages and know more about different cultures).

Learning is more than paper, pencils and books-forpupils.weebly.com

Some schools take it a step further by incorporating volunteer and community service programs that connect students to various organizations and areas where they can give their services. Such initiatives ensure that students are given the opportunity and a head start on leadership responsibilities, as well as the chance to engage and share ideas with other students who share similar interests. These activities also prepare them for their future career paths and endeavors . Additionally, they also assist students in broadening their circle of effective friendships, helps students to establish individuality and determine early on what their interests are. And for a majority of children, interesting activities help keep them in school.


Most public schools, if they happen to include extracurricular activities, the activities tend to be severely limited. When it comes to sports, there will usually be just two options: football or netball. As a result, most children are not given the opportunity to discover their interests outside of school.


While public schools cannot compete with private schools due to funding constraints, there are less expensive activities that can be incorporated into the extracurricular activities, such as educational clubs which don't require much, and can run on minimal funding.


It would be good to see non-governmental organizations and other private institutions devise initiatives to help fund and support towards extracurricular programs in public schools.


Extracurricular activities aren't just there for fun, public schools must invest in them.

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