STUDENTS in national schools have to take part in three co-curricular activities from three different categories such as uniform unit, club or society as well as sports and games.
The Education Ministry’s school division has provided an approved list from each category and students must choose one each from the respective categories.
Senior assistants for co-curricular activities have to ensure that all students are involved in the activities that they have chosen at the beginning of each year.
I was told that teachers would be assigned to take charge of these activities. Their job is to monitor and assess based on the following criteria — attendance which constitutes 50 per cent, achievement and involvement which takes up 20 per cent each, and the position held in the club, society or uniform body makes 10 per cent.
It is the duty of the teacher adviser of each unit to assess students’ co-curricular activities. Assessment is based on guidelines provided by the ministry’s school division, which is inclusive of the marks awarded which must be followed closely.
At the end of each year, the marks and grades will be computed for every student.
The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) will be calculated each year and carried forward until students finish school.
Most schools make it compulsory for students to buy co-curricular books which will be used for five years until they leave school. This book will have three categories where marks are recorded and the final average mark and grade will be computed.
Co-curriculum certificates are issued to all school leavers. A list of Form Five students with 10 per cent of their CGPA will have to be sent to Education Department.
Looking at the amount of work to be done in order to carry out this co-curricular activities exercise, it is no wonder that teachers are stressed out. They also have to do academic assessments with a headcount to set targets for their students.
Parents are sometimes distressed as their children get home late or even miss tuition classes, and are unable to complete their homework or face transport problems because of co-curricular activities.
I have even heard parents say that co-curricular activities should be scrapped.
One parent even told me that there was no need for her child to go for co-curricular activities as she had lots of tuition classes to attend. On top of that, the parent said her daughter also had piano and ballet classes.
We must realise that the government is committed and will continue to give priority to implementing the best co-curriculum activities at all levels.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said co-curricular activities in schools was the best way to forge unity among students of different background, races and religions.
He stressed that such programmes were instruments of national unity that instilled good values.
I agree with him. Values promoted in the spirit of unity must be spread and cultivated through interaction with individuals in the community and must be strengthened from the beginning.
Co-curricular or extracurricular activities include voluntary work, school exchange programmes and involvement in student organisations and clubs. They may take place during or after school hours, and inside or outside the school compound.
Participation in uniformed voluntary bodies can also help students to acquire leadership skills and develop creativity in dealing with challenges.
Researchers have found that students involved in school non-governmental organisations tend to be more mature, multi-skilled and goal-driven.
The issue of some top performing Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia students with a CGPA of 4.0 who were not offered the courses of their choice cannot be viewed lightly.
The admission system gives a 90 per cent weightage to academic performance and 10 per cent to co-curricular achievements. Many STPM students normally get five or six marks for their co-curricular activities.
This is probably due to the fact that STPM students do not take co-curricular activities seriously.
Some say that Form Six students are loaded with work and do not have the time for co-curricular activities. I disagree with them. If you know where you stand, you can prepare early. Remember, no matter what the circumstances or constraints, you should be proactive and always be responsible for your own self.
Nothing and nobody else is to be blamed. You decide and mould your own future.
We should prepare students who excel physically, emotionally and intellectually for the future. Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. The fate of the nation is on their shoulders.