The meaning of co-curricular activities revolves around its different feature and characteristics. For the overall development of a child, curriculum is not only the single criteria. The holistic growth as well as to develop the various facets of personality development of children; classroom teaching should be supplemented with co-curricular activities. These out of class activities affect all domains of life such as cognitive (intellectual), emotional, social, moral, cultural and aesthetic. Co-curricular activities meaning are more focused upon cognitive aspects thereby help in intellectual development. Competitiveness, excellence, quality achievements, creativeness and enthusiasm are few of the ethics of extra-curricular activities and also strengthen the meaning of co curricular activities in school.
Non-academic activity in the form of co-curricular one provides support to students to venture into professional fields like fashion, music, painting, art, acting, photography, printing and many more. That’s why students need co-curricular activities, which helps in enhancing many skill developments. Importance of co curricular activities have increased manifold in modern life. However, co-curricular meaning varies to little bit as per place, time and space.
The extracurricular activities definitions by leading modern educational thinkers and others are:
“Activities sponsored or recognized by a school or college which are not part of the academic curriculum but are acknowledged to be an essential part of the life of an educational institution. Co curricular activities include sports, school bands, student newspaper etc. They may also be classed as ‘Extracurricular’ i.e. activities carried on outside the regular course of study; activities outside the usual duties of a job, as extra class activities”- according to The International Dictionary of Education (1977).
“Co curricular activities were mainly organized after school hours and so were the extra curricular but they are not an integral part of the activities of the school as its curricular work”- according to Aggarwal (2000).
“Co-curricular activities may be defined as the activities undertaken to strengthen the classroom learning as well as other activities both inside and outside the classroom to develop the personality of the child”- according to Bhatia (1996).
“Various social and other types of activities like literary, dramatic, social services etc. which attracted the attention of the child were considered as extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities have been renamed by educationists as co curricular, which implies that all these activities are a part of school curriculum”.- according to Mittal (1999).
Co curricular Activities History
Co-curricular activities are not new to the modern curricular education syllabi. It can be traced into Indian ancient schools, gurukuls, and religious places. All the Indian scriptures like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Ved, Upnishad, etc., mentioned about extra-curricular activities. In the ancient times, simple co-curricular activities in school were organized such as wrestling, cooking, singing, playing, magic, etc. In rest parts of the world, co-curricular programmes were common in various ancient civilizations.
In Spartan Civilization (Greece) warfare, heroic activities, archery, creativity and artistic talents were widespread. In Roman Civilization, concrete arts & crafts, and religious ceremonies were given importance. In the dark history of Europe, extra-curricular activities were also the part and parcel of life. During reformation period, such activities got patronage.
Great educational thinkers such as Rousseau, Herbert Spencer, Dewey, all gave much more importance of co-curricular activity in school education. According to them, Co-curricular activities play vital role in student life.
Co curricular Activities Features
There are many characteristics of co-curricular activities, which directly or indirectly help the classroom teaching of students. Co-curricular activities supplement and complement the entire teaching-learning process and effectively impact student earning outcomes. It strengthens the classroom teaching and helps to clear the concept of topics. Extra-curricular activities give emphasize upon aesthetic as well as spiritual development, which are the essential components of education. It helps in developing features like speech fluency and extempore. Such activities are good platform to excel in acting, singing, speaking, and recitation. Thus, CCA becomes the integral part of school’s curriculum and student’s life.
Co curricular Activities Features
There are many characteristics of co-curricular activities, which directly or indirectly help the classroom teaching of students. Co-curricular activities supplement and complement the entire teaching-learning process and effectively impact student earning outcomes. It strengthens the classroom teaching and helps to clear the concept of topics. Extra-curricular activities give emphasize upon aesthetic as well as spiritual development, which are the essential components of education. It helps in developing features like speech fluency and extempore. Such activities are good platform to excel in acting, singing, speaking, and recitation. Thus, CCA becomes the integral part of school’s curriculum and student’s life.
Role of Co curricular Activity in Student
To realize the all-round development of student, curricula should be amalgamated with co-curricular or extra-curricular activities. Co-curricular activities help in realization of aims and objectives of education. In the practical life, the students able to express their ideas freely due to active participation in debate and extempore. Discussion also helps in generating ideas and inculcating values. Games and Sports make them mentally and physically fit and sound. Games make them learn how to perform while losing or wining an event. Sometimes, classroom teaching becomes monotonous and routine. Here, co-curricular activities can bring pleasant and joyous experiences. Thus, co-curricular activity has many advantages in student’s life of school, college and university.
Scope of Co curricular Activities in School
Co-curricular activities not only make the students active and energetic but also enable to harness the in-depth potential of students. It enhances knowledge in many domains, which benefits the student as well as the school. Co-curricular activities are good platforms to secure your future both professionally and socially and promote leadership quality. It nurtures student’s ability in co-operation, co-ordination, organization and lead you toward leadership. Extra-curricular activities provide exposure to personality and helps in psychological and sociological transformation. Schools channelize the energy of students with the help of extra-curricular activities so that proper realization of student’s energy and potential can be ensued. The importance of co-curricular activities is extremely important in case of ADHD and problematic children who are full of energy.
Need for Co curricular Activities
Co curricular activities are utmost needed to fulfill the aims and objectives of life. In co-curricular activities, students participate in various cultural programmes, which help them in socialization, self-identification and self-assessment. The participation in drama, play enables in developing balanced personality. People get acquainted with culture, customs, and activities of other places due to co-curricular activities such as field trips, tours and excursion. It inculcates the feelings of harmony, thus develop unity and togetherness in the society. In community work, students require to meet with many people and develop the capability of adjustment. Since, in many co-curricular activities, children have to perform in groups, and performing as a team develops the sense of belongingness.
Difference between Curricular and Co curricular Activities
Curricular is formal in nature while co-curricular activities is informal.
Curricula involves classroom teaching, instructional education, examination, evaluation while co-curricular activities encompass singing, dancing, gardening, mass drill, community work, games , etc.
Curricula comprises reading books, going through newspapers and journals, on the other hand extra-curricular activities known for telling stories, acting, doing theatrical work, singing, etc.
In curricular education, students spent their time in laboratory, workshop, or doing important assignments for class work. But in case of extra-curricular activities, students perform work such as cleaning road & school, gardening, painting, creative art and so on.
In curricular mode of education, students formally read about different festivals, ceremonies and celebrations while in co-curricular activities, the children actively participate physically in these functions.
However, the vital difference between curricular and co-curricular activities is that the latter helps to supplement and complement the curricular teaching.
Co curricular Activities Help Students
There are question which generally raised by students, parents, teachers and schools how co-curricular activities help in education There is a synergy between school education and extra-curricular activities. In fact, the very concept of co-curricular activities genuinely strengthens the base of curriculum. These activities enable children to share their emotions and strengthen the bond of friendship. In extra-curricular activities, creative works are given more importance, which facilitate skills and ideas of children. Adolescent stage is a period of turmoil and restless, where energy of children has to be tapped before its use in unproductive work. These are the activities which motivate students for learning and make their lesson enjoying.
Co curricular Activities Importance
Education along with co-curricular activities helps in the overall development of personality. Co-curricular Activities furnish many values among students. It is depend upon students and teachers how they imbibing these values for the better education and health of students. Students participate in physical activities, which contribute towards physical health, vitality, and endurance of the students. Psychological needs are meet by co-curricular activities. Psychological needs such as emotions, self-assertion, sex, and curiosity are trained and groomed by these activities. A large part of theoretical works in discipline like geography, and science can get value added from excursions, tour and nature study. Extra-curricular activities help to inculcate civic and democratic values by participating in self-government and organizing different festivals and ceremonies. Co-curricular activity is also an effective platform to make absorb values like social, aesthetic, cultural, recreational and disciplinary among students.
Co curricular Activity Principles
For the better benefits of co-curricular activities, certain principles and rules have to be followed to have more and more advantage of extra-curricular activities. Initially, smaller forms of such activities have to be performed and gradually move towards the larger one. Those activities should be promoted, which are curricular related and educationally relevant. Activities like creativity, writing, poetry, painting and discussion will help to understand the lessons well. The teacher or the administration should encourage students so that more and more of them can participate in the activities by arranging the same during school hours. The role of teacher should be just like as a advisor. These activities should be executed in a democratic manner and all the students should be given opportunity to lead their respective teams. Regularity, programme schedule and necessary tools should be should be arranged and maintained to give it a proper direction.
Role of a Teacher in Co curricular Activities
The teacher should have to perform multi-dimensional functions in organizing and executing extra-curricular activities. It is also the school, which play pivotal role in conducting co-curricular activities. It is the teacher or the school who finally should take the responsibility how activities should proceed further. The teacher can be a planner, leader, innovator, director, organizer, manager, recorder, advisor, motivator, communicator or coordinator. While executing such activities, the teacher faced lots of difficulties. But he should not discourage and completed the assignment after consultation with seniors and school administrator.
Top 10 advantages of Co curricular Activity
Co-curricular activities (CCA) make a horizon for systematic and meaningful learning opportunities and prepare students for future.
CCA makes you active and energetic thereby help in learning and enable to develop multiple skills to students.
Co-curricular activities help in holistic development of the personality.
Co-curricular activity along with formal education helps to channelize the hidden potential of the students and make you a good citizen.
Domains like social, academic, intellectual, cultural, democratic, civic and aesthetic get enriched after participation in co-curricular activities.
Students, who are good in sports, also have good academic record.
Co-curricular activities help in realizing the importance of education and develop the spirit of healthy competition.
Co-curricular activities support students practically and professionally for a better future.
CCA enhances students experience, understanding and brings benefits beyond students and parents expectation.
It is a good source of remaining fit and healthy, and provides you a mental rest.
Examples of Co curricular Activities in Primary School
It is the primary level, where the importance of co-curricular activities cannot be ignored. All the education thinkers had given prominent space to CCA in this stage. The different co-curricular activities examples are as follow:
Recitation
Simple story writing
Play
Parade
Music
Dancing
Drawing
Painting
Fancy dress
Folk Dance
Assembly
Reading
Co curricular Activities in Secondary School
A number of parents are worried related to participation of their candidates in co-curricular activities. They raised question what is the importance of co-curricular activities in school. Here, the role of event motivator has become pivotal pursuing the parents regarding benefits of co-curricular activities. In high school, a large number of co-curricular activities are organized. Examples of co-curricular activity conducted in senior secondary school are:
Debate and discussion
School magazine
Dramatics
Study circle
Clubs
Societies
Art groups
Seminar
Kavi Summelan
Library work
Sports and Games
Indoor and outdoor athletics
Mass drill
Parade
Scouting
Music
Dancing
Drawing
Painting
Sculpture
Dramatics
Exhibition
Fancy dress
Folk Dance
Folk Songs
Cooperative Bank
Cooperative Store
Assembly
Students’ Council
Celebration of Religious
National and Social Festivals
Organizing of School Panchayat Mock Parliament.
Social Study Circle
Fair
Professions
Cultural Programmes
Guiding
First Aid
Red Cross
Social Survey
Stamp Collection
Coin Collection
Collection of Copies
Photography
Reading
Needlework
Knitting
Picnic
Visit to Museum, Zoo etc.
Examples of Co curricular Activities in Colleges
Co curricular activity is an integral part of college and university students. CCA develops social interaction and healthy recreation in the atmosphere of formal education. In many colleges and universities, thrust is given in leadership development through designing some specific co-curricular activities. The importance of CCA in colleges has increased in the recent times. Some of the examples of CCA in college are:
Debate and discussion
Workshops
Seminar
Conference
Social-interaction
Dramatics
Study circle
Clubs
Societies
Art groups
Library work
Sports and Games
Indoor and outdoor athletics
Mass drill
Parade
Scouting
National Cadet Corps (NCC)
National Sports Organisation (NSO)
National Service Scheme (NSS)
ACC
Music
Dancing
Dramatics
Exhibition
Cultural Programmes
Guiding
Red Cross
Social Survey
Stamp Collection
Co curricular Activities Difficulties
The organizer has to face many problems while organizing co-curricular activities. One of the most important lacuna in conducting these activities are unavailability of equipments and tools due to financial indecisiveness. There are number of students who generally don’t show enthusiasm towards such works. It all depends upon the motivator how to persuade these students for extra-curricular activities. School time-table is also not included these activities. Generally, they get place before or after school hours. Appropriate playground or space is also constraint with some school. Teachers are also not well-versed in organizing different activities. In the modern education system, students are loaded with homework, so get lesser time to enjoy. In many research, it has been shown that co-curricular activities are neglected in formal education. There is no specialized teacher for field works or extra-curricular activities in school. Some parents also show their disinterest in these activities. There is no as such disadvantage of extra-curricular activity, if these activities are not implemented suitably, the students will unable to harness its benefits to the fullest.
