A robust school extracurricular program has much to offer children and their families
Miles Willing eyes the finish line with mom Nicole cheering him on in the Hintonburg 1k race in July. Miles, who loves to run, is primed for one day joining a school cross-country running club. Photo Credit Jon Willing
If kids are gloomy about being back in the classroom this fall, hopefully they find joy in the school’s extracurricular activities.
We should urge our children to explore activities that aren’t core to their education. As our son Miles starts Grade 1, I’ll be encouraging him to try school activities outside of the classroom.
For me, extracurricular activities weren’t necessarily an escape from academics. I was a decent student and didn’t mind classwork. Activities just seemed part of the complete school experience.
My first memory of joining a school extracurricular activity was primary choir, somewhere between Grade 1 and Grade 3. In the senior elementary years, there was cross-country running, floor hockey, soccer, softball and the chess club, where in Grade 6 I tragically lost the year-end chess championship to my best friend (of course, I still hear about it today).
I played drums in a couple of high school bands and there was varsity soccer. I joined some friends in bringing back the high school’s curling team after years of dormancy.
Some of my school activities started the path for future careers. Editing the high school newspaper and yearbook foreshadowed a professional life in journalism and teaching.
Kids aren’t always fortunate to have robust activities programs at their schools. The availability of school activities hinges on geography and the generosity of school staff to take on the extra commitments.
People for Education, a charity interested in research and publicly funded education in Canada, found in its last Ontario-wide survey that there were more opportunities for school activities in urban areas and in high-income neighbourhoods. The survey, conducted in fall 2022, happened as schools continued re-establishing activities after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the survey report, some schools were having trouble running activities because overworked staff couldn’t put in the volunteer hours required to run extracurriculars.
While activities might not be part of the core education, other research suggests school extracurriculars boost students’ mental health. A study published in 2022 by Frontiers in Sports and Active Living concluded that Ontario school boards should recognize the importance of extracurriculars.
Research aside, activities give children more opportunities to meet students outside of their main circle of friends. Plus, school extracurriculars are often more affordable compared to programs run by other organizations. While a year of activities outside of school can cost families hundreds of dollars (and often more) each year, school activities provide opportunities to children whose families can’t afford expensive registrations.
If your family is lucky, your school has a solid extracurricular program. Let’s teach our kids there’s more to school life than their classrooms.
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