Teaching Students Values?

After school activities

Melwin Braggs, Business Editor

Kids don't stop learning when they go home from school. The after-school activities for kids are designed on these lines to be entertaining, educational ways to engage kids and keep their curious minds working when they're not in the classroom.

After school programmes give children the opportunity for social interaction, career exploration and community work. Extracurricular activities can explore the fields of science, art, home economics, athletics and literature. Students can prepare for careers in media, technology and other important employment. These programmes also give students the confidence that they need to pursue and succeed in their careers.

After-school programmes can be a blessing for families who want to extend their children's learning or cultural experiences. They're also wonderful for working parents who need somewhere for their children to go after school ends, but who are looking for more than a babysitter. There are so many programmes available to families today that choosing the right one can be a challenge. Here are the benefits of some after-school activities. But care needs to be taken, not to overdo it, keep it simple-kids need downtime, too.

Sports Programmes: Cricket, football and basketball-all of these, as well as some other choices-are considered competitive sports. There are many benefits of putting children into a sports centered sports program. They learn good sportsmanship, how to be a team player, discipline and they get plenty of exercise. Martial arts, while not technically competitive like football, are excellent choices when it comes to discipline, self-control and a physical outlet.

Dance Programmes: From Classical, folk to bollywood, dance classes are a favourite for girls especially, although don't think your son won't like them. Dance is fun and provides plenty of exercise. Choose hip hop, zumba, hula, ballroom dancing and more. These classes help children with grace, balance and large motor skills. They also provide opportunity for social skills as group performances are usually part of the program.

Educational Programmes: If your child would rather read than play football or spends hours over a chemistry set, you might want to consider an educational programme. Children can join reading clubs, math or science clubs, or take history or language classes. Educational programmes can help improve grades. If your child needs improvement in a particular subject, such as maths, choose a programme that emphasizes that subject.

Arts & Cultural Programmes: Many after-school programmes offer music lessons, theatre and drama, chess clubs, painting or even arts and crafts. programmes like these allow children to explore different areas of the art world before deciding on something long-term. The emphasis behind an after-school programme of this kind is enrichment, encouraging creativity and exploring areas not normally open to kids. For example, if your child is shy, drama may draw him out. Music classes bring out hidden talents in a child and teach discipline.

Keep Your Goals in Mind

Remember whatever programme you pick to offer, regular evaluation is the key to success. Make sure the programem works for the child. He should have the freedom to reject an activity if he genuinely dislikes the activity. Generally, programmes that combine the educational with the recreational are best suited especially for younger children. The goal is learning and enrichment, but having fun is important, too.

What do Test Scores really Say About a School

Rita Wilson, Chief Editor

(Ex-chief executive and Secretary, ICSE)

If you’ve recently moved you probably researched local schools first. These days, access to test scores is only a click of the mouse away – but critics argue that this information tells us more about the socio-economic status (SES) of the student body than about the quality of the schools themselves. How much do we really value diversity? And how much can you learn about a school based on its test scores?

That high socio-economic status is correlated with academic success is unpalatable, but undeniable. Economist Steven Levitt described some of the factors most highly correlated with high test scores in his book Freakonomics: highly educated parents and high socio-economic status mattered more than intact families, daily reading sessions, and an at-home mother.

“The research on this issue says that the variable that counts for supporting high academic achievement is high expectations,” says Carol Pate, of Chestnut Hill College. “Parents who are in the high SES realm expect that their children will achieve at the level to continue the lifestyle, whether it means in a professional manner, economic or a combination of both. In addition, children of high SES parents are also more likely to inherit good genes resulting from supportive nutritional, medical and overall environmental care. Finally, children of high SES parents…are able to concentrate on their schooling…because they do not need to be concerned about the necessities of life, such as nutritional foods, safety in the community and finding adults to care for them.”

Schools may have excellent facilities, involved teachers, and high per-pupil spending, but still score lower than a school with a wealthier student body and high scores. “It is critical that parents don’t stop at the question, ‘which is the best school?’ and instead move toward ‘which is the best school for my child?’

If test scores aren’t enough, parents should consider some of the following -

•teachers that provide significantly more frequent feedback to parents than a typical report card

•schools that invite parents to be part of the school community in meaningful ways

•schools that involve students in service learning and community-building activities

•schools that include an intensive focus on student data from multiple sources

•teachers that compare students to themselves rather than to other student groups

In an age of high anxiety, it can be frightening for parents to choose a school that doesn’t have the highest test scores. For parents who value socio-economic diversity, though, these schools may provide a different type of education – one in which students are exposed to the kind of diverse population they’ll encounter in the real world.