Alid Misli

The 21st century makes the world competitive, thus it makes us all competitive with each other. As time goes by, some education issues are being solved, in the same time more issues are being rise. These are challenges; challenges to all 21st educator. As the current leader of this 21st century, we are committed to find the best solution for those education issues. As for now, are we doing the right thing? Are our judgement trustfully right?

We heard lots saying that co-curricular activities are vital. But how vital are they? How much percentage can you set between the academic curricular and the co-curricular? How does your personal interest infect your commitment on handling these curricular and the co-curricular in school? Are they really in need of a balance?

By simple definition, curricular are those academic, subject contents that are being taught in schools. While the co-curricular or the extra curricular, are define as  activities that involves participants or students to engage with the the outside matter of academic, such as Sports, Arts and performance, Charity and organisation events, School clubs, uniformed group and so on.

Let us take a look how co-curricular set us into the world of goodness.

Co-curricula give participants expression to the social world. It put us at rest for our mental process on our Academic. Certain co-curricula help us to engage with physical movements that can result in physical benefit, thus maintain good health. Co-curricula give as unity and collaboration as well as opportunity to improve communication with one another.

The role of co-curricula become significant when we find group of individual who are having the same excellent academic on our list. Selecting the best candidate are being look into their co-curricular participation.  The job market are also looking at the same thing. They also see their  co-curricular participation. These event add another reason why co-curricula activities play a major role in our students life or even yourself.

When we see it – in a bigger picture, academic itself is not enough to prove you are good investment to work in any department. Because we all know that academic does not play solely in work. Leadership and talents also run when we are working. Who has these leadership skills and talent? We train expose  them in school. So these co-curricular talents do help the students in their life after school. Am I right?

Having said the good things about co-curriculum; we should never neglect the academic curricular for even a second. Do you believe that due to the co-curriculum activities in school, it let us educator to jeopardize our academic roles? To say it nakedly it is very wrong. We know that academic is no doubt the essential of education. What is school without a proper academic?

As one of  Brunei educationalist, let me bring you to the center, in context of Brunei Education situation.

Teachers in Brunei is rush to learn and to attend workshops. Brunei Teachers are being put in an excellent environment by human resource development. We understand the process: We learn and participate in the workshop, then we bring it to school to share it with other teachers/staff and the students. Or at least we could adapt the new knowledge and skills to our profession/job.

Every branch of Ministry of Education has their own timetable that are being downloaded by all schools. If we put all of their schedule in a large calender, we can see how tight the teachers calender is. Yes, you see a busy schedule on our plate.

Can you see what I see? We teachers are same as our students. We have our own extra-curricula activities. Its not a bad thing? Then it should be a good thing right? When the schedule become so really tight, and left no space for us to breath, well that is too much. Working on Friday and Sunday? Com’ on with no overtime.. Please… Seriously, that’s how we must prove our loyalty and commitment? mun inda datang, tunjuk sebab..

Some educators really love this extra-curricula. Some became fan, some turn to fame, some children has teacher missing-in-action  issues, some have lost effort in class, some just born in extra-curricula. Even educator our self have our own talent. It does get work done too, selfishly.

My real question was actually: “How much Co-curricular Activities do we actually need in School?”

Personally, I’m more to the academic matter. I love teaching English, Science and ICT. I love the pedagogic, methodology and the psychology of it. They are heart. But from where I stand, we do need co-curricula. The toughest thing in Brunei Education is that we are fighting for time. We have the Morning session and the Religious session in the afternoon. There are a lot of brainy works going on in a child mind in Brunei.  But we can’t blame it. Its like we are born to have these both sessions.

But I still would like you guys to see some of the education “time” in foreign country. They go to school 5 days a week. Monday to Friday.  Some have 4 days of academic session, and Friday of co-curricula/ sports.

Me, myself was brought to this system in the 90s. So I love Friday. You got to do the sport this week, and next week will be dancing, singing, art, play doh and what ever activities you can think of in a co-curricular. Its fascinating!

Lets go back to the question. How much do we need it? Our kids have a lot of responsibility at a young age already! They work both morning and afternoon to equip themselves with the necessaries knowledge and skills.

How about the pressure  given by the co-curriculum activity?

Yeah, the co-curriculum competitions? The Sports Tournament? Wow. Every departments wants a piece of  our children. We are so ignorance at most, that we are actually given pressure to our students. Practice there, practice here, Do this, do that? To win, to win, to rise name. And we barely forget that, this is just young people, who have already bulky responsibility in both academic in the morning and afternoon.

Now the world are at competitiveness. But why do it have to be unpleasant. Its true some Educators are sometimes fond working hard in co-curricular than the curricular. Being respectful to them, because that is their talent, and that sure is their interest.  But then again, once you have impress and express the co-curricular session, you barely have the energy to put your 200% efforts to the academic in class.

So do you believed in super hero? We are surely not one. We can’t be in two places at once.

The answer to this question is actually lies at your interest for your students and your commitment. But I have no doubt in saying this again, academic are still more vital than co-curriculum. Seriously? Speaking of Brunei as a Zikir country, where can dancing and singing be at its Zenith? Entertainment Haram kali ah bulih~ Adang mem-pressure Anak murid nie. Inda jua lari ke mana tu..  But we are still ignorance to understand it.

I wrote this long time ago at Primary Teachers in Brunei Facebook.

“The quality of teaching is valued by many stakeholders. But to have a good quality in teaching, you have to define it accordingly to the mission and vision of our Ministry. The tentative judgement that runs on people mind can have their own direction. Some selfishly for their sake, some have good terms. To achieve quality, firstly you never ever differentiate the limitings of one another. For example, why do we differentiate, the teacher who is long gone versus those who hardly gone away? But the question is, what can you do more if you are actually in the classroom with the children. A good quality of teaching, contributes to the pedagogic, the time management, the resources, the students and teachers rapports. Mcm puasa, Tunai is much more blessing than menqadha? Sometime, loosing time with them, we are actually jeopardize the relationship of a teacher and its students, qualitatively. Now, lets think of this the easy way “What is a student without a teacher?” Away from a students, is never a blessing, and what of reasons moral or ethically to justify our absent is just plain apathy.” – Alid Misli

It was argument about quality teaching: Teachers going out does not jeopardize the quality teaching in class? Well I say it does jeopardize it. You just wasted your student time in school. They should have learn something from you. Doing exercise is not learning, it’s assessing.. This is not a practice make perfect kinda thing. The real point of teachers in class is the learning and teaching. Assessment is just small part of it. For time ahead, accumulation of the “correction” jeopardize and forward other relevant subject at stake.