Statesman Schools is distinguished for the rigor of its academic programme; and yet, the school’s educational mission is not purely, or merely, academic. That is, Statesman Schools has broad goals for the development her Students: some of those goals are fostered by the academic programme, but many of those goals are fostered only outside the classroom, through the school’s extracurricular and formational programmes.
SSA expects participation in extracurricular activities to serve the following ends: the extracurricular programme allows students to develop and display skills that are not accommodated by class work – for example, in athletics, music, dramatics, public speaking, creative writing and invention. Again, the extracurricular programme provides means through which students may pursue brilliance and achieve merit. This may be especially important when academic distinction proves elusive: the student whose performance in the classroom is average, for example, can derive satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment from doing remarkable work on a publication in the press club or dancing in the music club. On the same vein, the extracurricular programme helps to develop a sense of neighbourhood and service within the schools. Also, the extracurricular programme provides incomparable opportunities for social contact and for forming friendships. Because our club groups consist of members drawn from different class sections and year groups, they encourage students and pupils to work together and thus enabling them form good relationships with other students. Besides, extracurricular activities also allow for regular and informal contact between students and teachers. Many extracurricular activities, both competitive and non-competitive, allow our students to form social relationships with students from other schools. It is only through the extracurricular programme that our students have regular get in touch with students from other schools.
SSA sees that participation in extracurricular activities is an essential part of our schools’ experience. Every pupil, student and teacher is associated formally with an extracurricular activity. In this perspective, it should be noted that the school does not think that academic success and extracurricular involvement are contrary, or that extracurricular activities are only suitable only for “intelligent” pupils and students. Therefore, there is no reason why participation in extracurricular activities should encroach upon time needed for study. Certainly, the school has found that its most successful pupils and students, in the academic area, are those who have been deeply involved in the extracurricular programme –maybe because the programme boosts feelings of satisfaction and belonging, which are key ingredients for academic success.
In all there are about 10 different clubs in the schools and a pupil or student is expected to have membership in any of the club groups. Club members meet every Wednesdays for about 40 minutes. Pupils and students are given an opportunity to choose their own clubs.
