Analysing the Impact of After-School Programmes on Students

What does your child do after school? Most of the students go for their tuition classes which is like a second school to them. When the school gets over in the afternoon, a student has ample time to spend. So why not indulge your child in some productive after-school activities? After-school programmes are an essential component of education, offering students academic support, a safe environment and a chance to diversify their skills. Today, these programmes are at the cusp of integrating education and overall development. According to various studies, quality after-school programmes result in improved student performance. Be it attendance, social behaviour or grade, after-school programmes have a huge impact on student achievements.

The question is how? In this blog, we have analysed the impact of after-school programmes on student achievements.

Let’s start with a small introduction to the after-school programmes.

What are After School Programmes?

After-school programmes or out-of-school time activities encompass a wide range of areas such as academic support, mentoring, youth development, arts, sports or recreation. The activities students engage in outside of school hours are crucial for their overall development. These programmes extend beyond school hours to offer academic support and help in emotional development, behavioural improvement, and physical health.

These programmes are generally organised by separate entities other than the school authority. In some cases, even schools organise extra-curricular programmes. These programmes are usually arranged for students from primary to middle school. Their primary motive is to complement the formal education system.

List of Some Popular After School Programmes

Based on the purpose of the programme and your expectations, there are many after-school programmes which you can consider. We have listed a few of them:

1. Academic Support and Guidance

• Tutoring sessions

• Homework assistance clubs

• STEM sessions

• Book club

• Language classes

• Math club

• Creative writing class

2. Arts and Crafts

• Drawing and painting class

• Music lessons

• Dance club

• Drama club

• Literary club

• Photography lessons

• Craft workshops

• Culinary club

3. Sports and Physical Activities

• Join any sports (basketball, volleyball, badminton, cricket, etc.)

• Martial arts lessons

• Gymnastics

• Swimming lessons

• Adventure sports

4. Technology and Innovation

• Coding club

• Robotics club

• Science club

• Electronics lessons

10 Reasons Why After-School Programmes and Its Impact Are Important

Here are a few reasons why after-schools are an important part of a student’s life:

1. Learning which is fun: Students often find school tedious. These after-school programmes offer a light-hearted and entertaining experience outside the class. This improves student engagement and helps students identify their hobbies, strengths and weaknesses.

2. Academic guidance: You can seek guidance on topics which are difficult to understand and get work on your assignment during those hours.

3. Sense of belonging: A space outside that allows students to interact with others and discuss things beyond their studies can refresh them. When you have a refreshing mind, your concentration level increases, and you tend to retain more. Moreover, such programmes make you feel like an important part of a community.

4. Enhanced classroom participation: Students learn and acquire valuable skills such as communication, teamwork and adaptability. Some of these programmes relate to the curriculum, making it easy for the students to understand the concepts. This ultimately increases classroom participation.

5. Boosts school attendance: When students know they can get tutoring support and assistance with homework, they tend to attend school more frequently.

6. Improves grades: Those students who attend after-school programmes relevant to their studies tend to have higher grades in standardised tests. A boost in confidence to be able to perform well is also a reason.

7. Behavioural improvements: Regular participation in after-school programmes gets you out of the monotonous schedule of school and allows you to do something exciting. Students who engage in other activities outside show fewer behavioural problems compared to those who are only indulged in studies.

8. Better physical health: After-school programmes like dance or sports are a great way to stay fit after long hours of study sessions. Sitting for long hours to study with no minimal physical activity can deeply affect your health, which is why school students suffer from obesity.

9. Skill development: Not many students and parents focus on learning skills in school. However, engaging in different activities helps develop transferable skills that are beneficial in the long term. You learn problem-solving and critical thinking and hone creativity.

10. STEM engagement: After-school programmes based on STEM subjects help cultivate student’s interest in these fields. As hands-on learning and projects are fun to do, students get motivated to further their studies in STEM subjects.

Challenges of After-School Programmes

While the benefits of the after-school programme are pretty clear, there are a few challenges which need to be addressed in order to increase the impact.

• Not every student has access to after-school programmes because of location, funding, resources and other such factors.

• The impact of the after-school programme depends on its quality. The quality will depend on the staff, structured curriculum and adequate resources.

• Getting consistent and satisfactory funding is also a huge challenge for the effectiveness of the after-school programme.

• Less awareness among the folks is another issue. It is observed that the students who need these programmes the most are least likely to enrol just because they are not aware of their benefits.

• Most parents in India consider the after-school programmes a waste of time and only emphasis on tuition classes.

• Financial issues of many students also pose a challenge.

Bottom Line

The after-school programmes are a vital source supporting student achievement and overall grooming. They may not have a direct impact but provide a positive learning environment which motivates students. Therefore, by investing in after-school programmes, we are investing in our children’s future. These programmes empower the students to use their full potential and learn beyond the classrooms because the real world is bigger than what is taught in class.

FAQs

Q1. What has the most impact on student achievement?

A strong student-teacher relationship is what impacts a student’s achievement the most. Apart from this many other factors such as family, neighborhood and beyond the classroom activities also play a crucial role.

Q2. What are the six factors that affect student achievement?

According to various studies, the six factors which affect student achievement are home, school atmosphere, teachers, curriculum, learning methods, and the student’s will.

Q3. What is the student’s biggest weakness?

Poor communication skills, lack of confidence and difficulty in managing stress are a student’s biggest weaknesses.

Q4. How can a teacher improve the performance of students?

To create a strong learning environment, a teacher must foster good communication, mentor students and incorporate innovative learning methods.