“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.” – Michael Korda

Education is the first step towards kissing career growth, progression, and success. Gone are the days when education was restricted to merely scoring well in examinations. While it is important to build a strong core around theory, what is equally or more important is to build an overall skin in the game.

Do you know how that becomes possible? Simply by taking steps in the direction of adding a touch of co-scholastics to the ambit of education!

The basic idea behind choosing to do so is to help children evolve into well-rounded personalities. This kind of wholesome persona will take children a long way, both personally and professionally.

In fact, in the absence of co-scholastics, the holistic development of children is more likely to see a standstill. This makes it rather imperative to aim at bringing the best of both worlds together.

With the same vision, we, at The Tribhuvan School, ranked among the top schools in Patna, have been adding value to the lives of our students by introducing them to diverse extra-curricular activities, sports, and interest-specific clubs. It is through these engagements that children develop an array of life skills, which may not be possible in the four walls of a classroom.

What are Co-Scholastic Aspects of Education?

Co-scholastic aspects of education deal with activities, programs, and learning experiences, which add traces of uniqueness to a child’s intellectual, social, and emotional reach.

The basic idea is to complement the substance that academics bring to the table. While academics deal with the theoretical side of learning, co-scholastics have a lot to do with practical infusions.

By now, each one of us understands that theoretical and practical knowledge goes hand-in-hand. It is not possible for one to sustain in the absence of other.

This is why we, at The Tribhuvan School, firmly believe that it is necessary that we work in the direction of giving co-scholastics the dues it deserves. As children complete their education and go on to take up professional engagements, it is a mix of both these parameters that would come to their aid to help them swiftly move in the direction of their goals.

Schools and Co-scholastic Activities

Co-scholastic activities have been a part of primary and secondary education for decades now. The only difference being these activities are being pursued actively and aggressively in today’s times.

Let us quickly look at some of the activities that form a part of the co-scholastic agenda:

• Activity rooms:

Activity rooms work as an excellent bet as far as tapping on children’s creative skills is concerned. Moreover, it is in this kind of atmosphere that children learn to work in the company of their peers. The ability to work in groups is an important life skill that they imbibe in the process.

We, at The Tribhuvan School, have introduced activity rooms where children get an opportunity to work together in either small or large groups. Here, children come together to play games, engage in art and craft, or explore the story racks. In the process, they end up interacting with one another, exchanging ideas, and finding a voice for themselves.

• Sports:

All this while, if you have been confused about whether or not your child is exposed to the co-scholastic side of education, then let us quickly address this issue.

Does your child get an opportunity to involve himself in any sport? If you said yes, then heave a sigh of relief as your child has already walked the co-scholastic path.

Sports are a great co-curricular activity that contributes in different ways to a child’s life. Right from helping a child in improving his physical fitness levels to teaching him to take failures with a pinch of salt, sports do leave behind some vital life lessons.

Thus, we can safely conclude that the right approach in this regard is to encourage children to pursue a sport of their choice.

• Performing arts:

Not every child grows up to pursue a corporate career. There are a few who have an artistic side to them. However, lack of backing at the right age leads to them being caught in the rat race. The result is they end up sulking and thereby lead an unsatisfactory life.

In order to prevent occurrences of this kind in your child’s life, it is important to give them the necessary co-scholastic exposure. Such exposure helps them consume information from different art forms like music, dance, and drama. After trying each of these forms, they can ultimately decide on the one that appeals the most to them. Eventually, it can be pursued as a hobby or full-time profession.

• Clubs:

Apart from academics, there is a lot of other learning that schools can impart to children. While it is not possible to hold children’s interest in every activity, you can always give them the freedom of choosing a club that functions around their interests. Ask them questions, trace their calling, and allot them the club.

Being one of the top schools in Patna, we, at The Tribhuvan School, have floated multiple such clubs that help add balance to children’s lives. With these clubs around, children always have something to look forward to.

Some of these clubs are:

• Sports
• Yoga
• Art and Craft
• English Language
• Eco
• Maths
• Heritage

These are only some of the co-scholastic activities which can be introduced to children. It is because of these activities that children learn to develop different perspectives towards things.

Moreover, they come to understand that there is more to life than just academics, grades, and books. The idea is to help them diversify their interests across different channels. In the process, they end up picking up some vital skills, which can make a difference to their lives not only during the growing up years, but also when they head out in the outside world to create a place and recognition for themselves. This is what we know as Holistic Development!

What is holistic development? Why is it important?

While we have only briefly come to understand the ambit of holistic development, let us now get a quick overview of this concept.

Holistic development has a lot to do with the development of skills in the following areas:

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Social
• Intellectual

No matter how much you try to look beyond holistic development, you simply cannot! This is so because to progress in life, you need to have a hold and strong command on each of these areas.

At The Tribhuvan School, recognized among the top schools in Patna, we believe that in the course of life, children are likely to bump into multiple opportunities. However, if they let the opportunity pass, it is never going to come back. What they would thus need is the presence of mind to grab and convert the opportunities in the best of their interest. This is a vital area where holistic development has a contribution to make.

Moreover, as we all know, every child is unique. There are traits and abilities that differentiate one child from the other. If children want to succeed in life, they need to polish their strengths and work on their weaknesses. Holistic development aids in this area as well. It helps children to first identify their strengths and weaknesses. Once this is done, the next step is to utilize the strengths to move in the direction of victory. On the other hand, every weakness needs to be viewed closely and thoughtfully worked upon.

All in all, holistic development is the key that unlocks multiple traits hidden inside a child!

Role of Co-scholastic Activities in the Holistic Development of Children

By now, you do know that co-scholastic activities do leave a mark in children’s lives. Undoubtedly, they are a positive influence.

Let us now look into areas where these activities aid children’s growth and development.

• Boost self-expression:

When was the last time your child came up to you and expressed himself without an iota of doubt or hesitation? If that was anytime soon, then you can rest assured that your child is benefitting from the co-scholastic activities that he is pursuing.

Contrary to this, if your child prefers to stay in his cocoon, cut off from everyone, then it is high time for you to observe the red flags. If your child prefers isolation to free communication, then he is likely to hit a block when he grows up.

We, at The Tribhuvan School, would never want our students to experience this gap, which is why we encourage them to pursue co-scholastics of their choice. In the process, they come to understand who they are and what they stand for.

• Encourages decision-making:

In life, we often encounter situations in which we need to make prompt decisions. Failure to do so is likely to lead to a good opportunity slip out of our hands.

While there are a lot of books stressing the importance of timely decision-making, only practical experience will help you to act in this direction. Introducing co-scholastic activities is a fantastic way of introducing children to the importance of decision-making in a rather small way.

For instance, let us say, the school your child goes to offers ten co-scholastic activity options from which your child has to choose only three. Here, the ball is in your child’s court. He needs to introspect, ask questions to himself, and ultimately go ahead to make his decision. This is not the end. After signing-up for such co-scholastic activities, he will once again find himself in situations wherein he will have to take the lead in decision-making.

• Gives a “creativity” check:

In the words of Albert Einstein, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Creativity is a crucial part of life. In fact, what differentiates us from others while making us stand in the crowd is creativity. The same holds true in the case of children as well.

For instance, let us say, your child attends art class. To complete one of his paintings, he might require a certain colour, which he may have run out of. A child, who is co-scholastically well exposed, will not be deterred, even for a moment. He will quickly put his creativity shoes on, work around the idea of exploring another colour option or simply scratch his brain a little harder and bring the colour he needs to life.

Creativity is indeed life-changing. In fact, as children grow up and come in contact with the outside world, will they come to understand how important it is for them to bring their creativity to the table, especially in every challenging situation.

We, at The Tribhuvan School, make it a point to introduce children to the beauty of creativity. We sow seeds of curiosity in them right in the early years so that they get hooked to the idea of creativity. And to that end, our co-scholastic activities work as the perfect starting point!

• Backs problem-solving abilities:

People with a philosophical bent often make statements like, “What is the thrill in life in the absence of problems?” Even though, at first, their idea of inviting problems in life might not appeal to you, giving this ideology a little deeper thought would help you to understand that they are not very wrong.

The fact is that no matter how much we try to run away from problems, we have no option but to look at them in the face and tackle them in whatever way possible. Problem-solving is a vital life skill that can make or break our life and well-being.

This is a crucial life lesson that co-scholastic activities can teach our kids. Co-scholastic activities often throw sudden problems in the direction of children. The real challenge is to face these problems when you least expect them to show up.

For instance, your child may be participating in a drama and due to certain unforeseen reasons, one of the participants might drop out at the last minute. When something like this happens, your child may have to take additional responsibility and mug up the other participant’s lines as well.

In the process, your child will come to understand that problems are a part of life. This means when your child grows up, and a problem comes his way, he will not get anxious or give up. Instead, he will try to come up with solutions that will help resolve the problem from its roots.

• Throws light on acceptance:

On any given day, not all activities are going to go in line with your expectations. In fact, not every person you encounter will act as per your choice. This is exactly where acceptance comes into the picture.

Co-scholastic activities have a role to play in communicating this important life lesson to children. Firstly, children are offered guidance to differentiate between the path they wish to choose and the path to success. It is not always that both these paths are the same. This prepares children to accept change.

Moreover, in the case of co-scholastic activities, children are made to function in groups, which is where they understand that it is not possible for them to have an upper hand in every situation. At times, they have to step into the shoes of a good listener, give their ears to what the opposite person has to say and be open to the idea of accepting others’ opinions.

We, at The Tribhuvan School, prepare children to not just accept change but also be accepting towards failures with an open mind. We help them understand that every failure has a purpose of its own. In fact, it is these failures that encourage us to not give up while choosing to not repeat the same mistakes in the future. Acceptance will help children to lead a fulfilling life when they grow up.

• Helps improve social skills:

In order to comfortably fit in and get along with people around you, it is important for you to come equipped with basic communication skills. If you are socially un-interactive, the chances are bleak that you will be able to understand others and vice-versa.

The need of the hour is to find your voice. It is important to break the ice, open up, and share ideas. Co-scholastic activities work wonders in this area. When you pursue any co-scholastic activity, you have to often work in groups.

Moreover, there is a collective goal that the group as a whole is heading towards. This means you have no option but to operate in unison. If you fail to communicate the necessary information with your group members, the group will lose its purpose and achieving the final goal will only remain a distant dream.

Upon growing up, if they wish to stay true to their personal and professional commitments, these social skills will come in handy. Thus, there is no denying the importance of introducing children to developing strong communication skills early on.

• Builds leadership:

There is always one leader and multiple followers. In the end, the one, who is remembered, is the leader. This is exactly why most parents aim to prepare their children for leadership roles.

Moreover, a leader is one who takes the less-traversed path. He doesn’t follow the crowd, and instead, he chooses to carve his own path for himself. The idea behind introducing co-scholastic activities to children is to help them develop leadership skills without even realizing about the same. For instance, when your child is working in a group on any co-scholastic activity of his choice, he may encounter situations wherein the group may be looking for direction.

Moreover, failure to get the much-needed direction that too at the right time is likely to prevent them from achieving the final goal.  When such a situation arises, your child will have no option but to voluntarily take up the leadership role.

Voluntary action in this regard indeed deserves a huge round of applause. In fact, repeating actions on similar lines will lead children to learning to assume the role of a leader easily and without any hesitation.

Confidence – A By-Product of Co-scholastic Activities

When any parent is posed a question as to how and what they would like their children to grow up into, most parents are quick to claim that they would like their children to be confident irrespective of the surroundings they find themselves in.

If you are one such parent, you must back your children to pursue co-scholastic activities that appeal to them the most. When children engage in such activities, they are likely to be exposed to a new aspect and perspective each day. Through the process, they learn to show up and ultimately grow into confident individuals.

Just imagine, when your child grows up and appears for an interview, even if your child has all A’s but displays a lack of confidence, the chances of him being selected are bleak.

This is why we, at The Tribhuvan School, positioned among the top schools in Patna, reinstate among our students that confidence is the best accessory that they can ever wear. We help them understand how confidence can help them sail through even in the most difficult situations that too without faltering even a bit.

Likewise, children, who are less confident, we offer them the necessary support. We help them choose their co-scholastics wisely so that they do not feel lost.

Co-Scholastic Activities Help Introduce “Balance” in Children’s Lives

Work-life balance is a concept that has been doing heavy rounds lately. This concept has a lot to do with distributing time between one’s personal and professional engagements.

A person who works day in and out is no more held in high regard. On the other hand, a person who is capable of balancing all his commitments is appreciated time and again.

Having said this, no matter how much you try to instil this balance in your life, the fact is that the habits that are formed at an early age cannot be mimicked after you grow up. And to that end, co-scholastic activities have a very important role to play in helping children add a touch of balance in their lives. Children who pursue multiple co-scholastic activities get a chance to move ahead in that direction only when they are able to distribute time smartly among different activities.

They need to give time to not just co-scholastic activities but also academics and playtime. In the process, the concept of balance starts making sense to them. Even before they come to realize it, balance becomes a part of their lives.

Multi-tasking and Balance are Interlinked

The present time and age are presenting humans with such tough competition that we are left with no option but to become a pro at multi-tasking. Giving excuses is just not going to help! As such, the only option we have is to put our best foot forward and multi-task to the best of our abilities.

However, multi-tasking is not a skill that can be learned overnight. It is all a matter of process. This is where encouraging children to partake in co-scholastic activities can come to aid.

It has been seen that children who are involved in co-scholastic activities are generally better at multi-tasking effectively. That’s because they are required to flutter between different sub-engagements, in the process of which they learn to multi-task. They have to communicate with their group members, derive a plan, make decisions, and also solve problems. Even though children may not realize it then, multi-tasking will make their life easy once they grow up.

Co-Scholastic Activities are a Game-Changer in the Area of Holistic Development

As a parent, you would never want your children to suffer in any of the aspects, be it academics, communication, social development, or any other. What you would instead like to truly seek for your child is to see him/her as a well-groomed, civilized, well-behaved, and responsible citizen.

If this is the case, do you think books can do justice alone? Certainly not! This is why we, at The Tribhuvan School, believe that it is rather necessary to introduce children to different facets of learning. And this is exactly where co-scholastic activities gain relevance in ensuring the holistic growth of children.

Even though children might assume that co-scholastic activities are purely for fun, there is certainly more to it. Each of these activities is planned keeping in mind a specific purpose and objective.

Some of these purposes and related advantages are discussed above. The best part about co-scholastic activities is that, unlike academics, children end up learning a lot without it looking like a lot of work.

Even though co-scholastic activities have been a part of the education system for a while now, the rising competition and changing trends have further contributed to their popularity. In fact, even children have become forthcoming enough, which means they do not hesitate to demand time to engage in co-scholastic activities of their choice.

We, at The Tribhuvan School, one of the top schools in Patna, have always aimed to make education fun for our students. With this objective in mind, we have constantly strived to come up with new-age activities while still polishing the already existing ones. We firmly believe that now when our young minds are stepping out in the outside world with a renewed confidence to take over every challenge with patience and without fear, it is important that they are provided with the necessary guidance, backing, and support.

To that end, it can be safely concluded that co-scholastic activities have a huge contribution in ensuring the holistic development of children. And this makes kids’ participation in co-scholastic activities absolutely indispensable!