ORGANIZING CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Learning Outcomes:

 Define Co curricular activities

 Learn the importance of Co curricular activities
 Explore various types of Co curricular activities
 Successfully implement the Co curricular activities in schools.
 Review matters requiring attention in Organising Co-curricular Activities
 Develop a Checklist for Organizing a Co-Curricular activities.
 Learn the limitation in Organizing the Co-Curricular Activities.
Understand the concept of Co-Curricular activities and their importance.

Co-Curricular Activities
These are the activities that take place outside regular classroom teaching and yet are
related to student learning. As such, they fall within the scope of the school curriculum.

Co-curricular activities are considered complementary and they overlap one another in
day to day routine of the school. The replacement of the old term “Extra-Curricular” with this
new term “Co-Curricular” is itself a sufficient indication that these activities are no more to be
regarded as extra. Rather, they are joint activities with the curricular activities.

Importance of Co-Curricular Activities

Productive and creative activities help in harmonious development of 4H's i.e. Head, Heart, Hand and
Health. The activities provide for the;

1. Physical development

During Co-Curricular activities all the parts of the body work actively. All parts become strong
and human being shows better work without feeling exhaustion. There is no alternative source to
develop the healthy and strong body except exercise and sports like athletics, gymnastics and
games.

2. Intellectual development
During Co-Curricular activities, the students develop the ability to make quick decisions. It creates more
qualities among children and helps them for the search of betterment in practical life. The changing
conditions in games and other cultural activities increase the intellectual development, which promotes
the creative quality of children.
3. Social development
Co-Curricular activities promote the habit of discipline in children and they learn to live with one
another and recognize the rights of others. It also develops the strong coordination between a person
and a team. It also familiarizes students to their environment and values.

Types of Co-Curricular Activities

The co-curricular activities can be classified into the following
categories

Types
Academic Development Activities:
Aesthetic Development Activities:
Religious and Cultural Development Religious celebrations (birthday of Prophet Muhammad
Activities:
National and Global Integration Celebration of national and international days (23rd March
Activities:
Activities for Leisure:
Literary Activities:
Productive Activities:
Physical Development Activities:
Social Welfare Activities:
Skill development activities
Examples
Morning assembly, subject clubs, historical societies,
educational quizzes, educational trips (to zoo, parks,
museums) etc.
Drawing painting, music, dramatics, exhibitions, fancy
dress shows, preparations of charts and models etc.
PBUH, Urs of saints of local areas etc.), cultural places
visits, folk festivals etc.
Pakistan day, 14th august independence day, 25th December
Quaid’s day etc.), educational trips to various historical
places, Peace day, earth day.
Photography (historical buildings), stamp collection
(national heroes), coins collection, album making, music,
decoration (by collecting butterflies, match boxes and dry
leaves) etc. Reading, Scrap Books, Reading Club/ book
club.
Poetry, debates, lectures, library work, participation in
academic and literacy competitions, writing etc.
Gardening, soap making, toy making, embroidery,
tailoring, knitting, Crafts making, wood work, coding, E.
Logs, Fruit picking activities, doll making.
Drill, gym, athletics, wrestling, indoor games, outdoor
games, swimming, cycling, judo karate etc. Indoor and
outdoor Games, Traditional Games, folk and Local games,
Sports Day.
Scouting, girls’ guiding, Red Cross, first aid and social
service societies.
Social media skills (V logging, website development),

Science/ Exhibition skills.
oratory skills, Street theatre, Critical Thinking, Social
entrepreneur skills, analytical skills (Survey, observation,
class room Behaviour, Participatory Research)
Science Gala, model Exhibition, Ted, Science
Experiments, Science stories.

Implementation of Co-curricular activities in Schools

1. Setting Goals

Since co-curricular activities are part of the curriculum to promote life-wide learning, they can
be seen as a means of accomplishing the goals of education. Before carrying out co-curricular
activities, schools should set up distinct goals according to their environment and the needs of
students. These goals should relate to intellectual, physical, social and personality development.
After the establishment of the goals, appropriate activities should be selected. Evidently, not only
do co-curricular activities fulfill the developmental goals of students, they also contribute to the
growth of the curriculum, school and teachers.

2. Selection of Coordinators

Suitable personnel should be enlisted to plan and carry out the co-curricular activities. The
personnel should include teachers, students, alumni, voluntary helpers from community, as well
as parents. It is most important of all to train the students to organize activities. Not only does
this help the activity to continue for a longer period, it also develops the students’ leadership
ability, which is one of the co-curricular activities goals.

3. Development of scheme of activities

It involves devising activities and following up with the recruitment of participants. It also
represents a stage in school development that should take into account students’ interests and
orientations in order to achieve the goals of education.

4. Establishment of various clubs and groups

In relation to the set goals of co-curricular activities, the school should establish regular clubs or
groups. In general, co-curricular activities clubs can be categorized into five types, namely,
academic, sports, art, interest and social services. Depending on the situation of the individual
school, the school itself may set up a balanced number of clubs. With respect to its
developmental stage, each club may devise its own activity plan, recruitment method, frequency
of meetings and activity content.

5. Planning and running activities

Whether or not an activity can be run smoothly depends firstly on a comprehensive plan. The
plan includes distribution of work, timetabling, budgeting and programmes. After completing the
job of planning, it is necessary to keep the students informed of the activity via proper channels.
There are several common ways, such as bulletins, posters, banners, public announcements,
newsletters and personal contacts.

6. Arrangement of an encouraging awards scheme/work with a mentor or expert

One of the important aspects in the implementation of co-curricular activities is to make them
self-rewarding for the participants. To achieve this objective, students should first of all be
encouraged to take part in co-curricular activities and to gain experience from the process. An
awards scheme is one of the best motivators. According to the nature of each activity, awards can
comprise praise, certificates, merit points, etc.

7. Problem-solving

Problems are inevitable in the course of carrying out an activity. In general, problems can be
classified as due to poor students’ attitude, inadequate contacts, communication problems, and
poor time management. These problems can be reduced, if not avoided, by looking into the
students’ needs, working out detailed plans and ensuring close communication among all the
parties involved, before planning an activity. In the long run, co-curricular activities should start
a snowball effect by raising the professionalism of coordinators, increasing in-service training
for teachers, strengthening the support of both school and parents, and creating a harmonious
school climate.

8. Feedback, evaluation and improvement

It will not be possible to evaluate unless goals are established. Once set, the success of each
activity depends on the appreciation of its goals. It is essential to know why a goal cannot be
reached. If an activity is run within a long period of time, one may use formative evaluation to
examine the planning and implementation of the activity quantitatively and qualitatively.
Quantitative measures include attendance records and activity records, whereas qualitative
measures include various kinds of feedback, like chatting and observations. Other measures,
such as whether the plan is followed, participants’ responses and a mid-year review can also be
considered. There should be a summative evaluation for each co-curricular activityat the end of
the school year.

Retention and utilization of records

Records must be kept for all activities to serve as future reference. The school should also keep
for each student an activity record, listing in detail the activities the student has joined as well as
his/her performance. These records will be useful in writing student references and
recommendations. The coordinator can thus make use of these reports to assess the feasibility of
new activities or to have his/her attention drawn to areas requiring notice.

Setting Goals

Retention and
Selection of
utilization of
Coordinators
records

Feedback, Development
evaluation and of scheme of
improvement activities

Establishment
Problem-
of various clubs
solving
and groups

Planning and
Arrangement of
running
awards scheme
activities

Matters requiring special attention in Organizing Co-curricular Activities

1. Detailed planning

Teachers should plan carefully when organizing co-curricular activities. They should let the
participants know about the nature and content of the activities. For activities that are held
outside school, teachers should be familiarized with the details of the event, the route to the
venue, the venue itself and the safety facilities provided. In particular, they should prepare a
contingency plan with possibilities well anticipated.
2. Notifying and involving parents

The school should inform parents of the details of co-curricular activity. Special attention should
be paid to outdoor activities for which school should ask in writing for the parental consent of
the participants. Letters to parents should state the date of the activity, time, venue and teachers-
in-charge, etc. Teachers must confirm the agreement of parents and collect the notes duly signed
indicating their consent. After the activity, these notes on parental consent should be kept for a
period of time for record purpose.

3. Notifying the police

When organizing outdoor activities for students, the school should notify the police in
accordance with the guidelines issued by the Education Department. This is a safety precaution
that the school must take to protect the students and the school itself in the event of an accident.
To facilitate teachers in their work, the school may consider designing standard forms for
reporting to the police.

4. Safety precautions

The school should ensure that all co-curricular activities are conducted safely. For co-curricular
activities held in school, the school should arrange for sufficient teachers to be on duty to
invigilate the activity. Teachers-in-charge should also make reference to the safety guidelines in
special rooms and laboratories to ensure that all facilities are safe for use. Facilities, equipment
and safety devices should be constantly checked to ensure proper working conditions and to
avoid accidents. Teachers-in-charge should also be cautious in conducting outdoor activities and
adhere to the “guidelines provided by the Education Department.

5. Handling of accidents

In the case of an accident, teachers-in-charge should take good care of the victim to prevent
further mishap. They should also notify the school and parents in the first instance, report to
them the condition of the student and what have been done so far to relieve the parents from
unnecessary worries. It is advisable that teachers-in-charge should carry with them on outings
(e.g. picnics, residential camps, visits) a telephone list of parents (including office & home) and
teachers on duty for emergency use.

Other important matters for organizing co-curricular activities

 Selection of activities
 Need and interest based activities
 Only those activities which are rich and educative
 Activities that show visible outcomes
  Free choice of students
 Suitability to the school plan
 Diversity of activities
 Facility arrangements
 Guidance be ensured
 Teachers’ tasks according to their interests
 Limited to available resources
 Supporting staff and financing must be provided
 Code of Conduct:
 Should be a written code of rules
 Duties of staff must be descriptive
 Rules for punishment / reward must be cleared
 Strict compliance of rules
 Student Involvement:
 Students should enjoy equal opportunities
 Play for all
 Motivation for student
 Management of Activities:
 Written program
 Proper record keeping and publications
 Committee work
 Accountability mechanism
 Storage of the equipments
 Personal supervision and interest
Checklist for Organizing a Co-Curricular activity
In group work, the trainees will develop a checklist for organizing a co-curricular activity of
their

Steps to be taken Timeline Responsible

personnel
1. Detailed planning

2. Notifying and involving parents

3. Notifying the police

4. Facility arrangements

5. Safety precautions

6. Handling of accidents

7. Finance Management

Limitation in Organizing the Co-Curricular Activities

 Failure to achieve the purpose

 Lack of staff
 Conservative attitudes
 Limited participation
 Shortage of facilities
 Lack of variety of games
 Defective time schedule
 No credit in annual promotion
 Over emphasis on conducting activities which affects on the studies
 Heavy load on teachers
Limitation in Organizing the Co-Curricular Activities

Limitation Strategy
Failure to achieve the
purpose
Lack of staff
Conservative attitudes
Limited participation
Shortage of facilities
Lack of variety of games
Defective time schedule
No credit in annual
promotion
Over emphasis on
conducting activities
which affects on the
studies
Heavy load on teachers