Nowadays parents focus on getting their kids
the best education available. But the scope of education seems to have shrunk
to a level of academic performance alone. Attending classes, rote learning of
what is taught and getting high scores is the general rather only aim for many.
Is this enough?
Or should we let our
kids play well?
Should we let them
participate in group activities at school?
Should we train them on
arts or sports?
Should we hone their
writing skills? So on…
The world is definitely
becoming more and more competitive day by day. So, should we totally avoid all other aspects ?
Let’s peep into the importance
of arts, sports and literary activities in elementary education.
Time spend on these activities
enhance a child’s multiple intelligence and this reflects in the kid’s
academics and behaviour too. Hence these are integral parts of quality
education.
Every child is unique.
What matters is that every child goes through a joyful and meaningful
experience that instills self confidence and self worth. It is an
identification of one’s path towards excellence.
Let us begin the
discussion with a simple question. What is an art?
Art is the response of an individual to the call of
the real, said Rabindranath
Tagore.
Art is the special language of children, who even
before they learn to speak, respond intuitively to dance, music and colour,
said Dr.Boyer.
Art includes performing arts and visual arts or fine
arts. Performing arts are of the
entertainment type. This includes dance, drama, dance-drama, music – both vocal
and instrumental, puppetry, etc. Visual arts now use technology and give us
animations, films, etc. It also covers drawing, colouring, painting, clay
modeling, sculpture, pottery, jewellery design, weaving fabrics, and so on.
An exposure in arts during
formative years also promotes cultural awareness in kids.
According to Prof.Antonio Domasio
from U.S.,
art education can bring about better balance between cognitive and emotional
development. This in turn contributes to a culture of peace.
Tagore reminiscing his childhood once said: “we wrote, we
sang, we acted, we poured ourselves out on every side. There was tremendous
excitement and cultural richness.” This base is what facilitated him to establish
Shanthiniketan
Viswa Vidyalaya…
Sports cover both indoor
and outdoor games, that too both individual and team events. Even moderate physical activity stimulates
growth. It improves a child’s skill at arithmetic, memorization and reading. It
enhances motor skills.
Children who play well
have team spirit, stay fit and healthy and are mentally active. They are stress
free, understand the importance of healthy living and the benefits of regular
exercise extends in to adulthood also.
Dr.Glyn Roberts says that sports are an important learning
environment for children. It affects a child’s development of self esteem and
self worth. Within sports peer status and peer acceptance are also established.
By literary activities we
mean reading, story telling, creative writing, spell bees, debate, quiz,
recitation, essay writing, public speaking, news reading, making presentations,
discussing stories and fiction, and many more. Literary activities facilitate
better utilization of library facility. Kids are facilitated to read during
their free time. They can choose from picture stories to short stories or
novels, depending on their caliber.
“Reading makes a complete man” said Francis Bacon.
Reading
improves vocabulary, generates better interpersonal skills and so better communication
and also gives problem solving skills. It thus fosters creativity. Strong
reading habits enhance analytical thinking and better literacy. This helps
pursue social activities, leading to a better community life.
All these activities have
a strong emphasis on “learning by doing” and “practice makes perfect”. Active
participation in such activities stimulates child’s imagination, and instills
values into young minds. Hence music, dance and drama are treated as foundation
subjects in International curricula.
In other words, education
in general, and art and literary activities in particular, is a way for a child
to grow into a balanced personality. It helps one to become sensitive to the
beauty in nature, of social values and aesthetic aspects of life as a whole.
The primary goal of
parents and teachers is to identify the best suitable art or sport for their
children. Success in an activity makes them feel valued and wanted. Every child
can be successful in one or another. Let us take the time to find what is right
for our child.
“The purpose of education
is to bring out the best in you” stated Mahatma Gandhi. For this, literary education must
follow the education of the hand – a gift that distinguishes man from beast.
Basic education as per Gandhian philosophy is an integration of arts, crafts,
health and academics.
