Co-curricular Participation - Bucking the Trend
The last few years have been challenging with ongoing disruptions putting obstacles in the way of involvement in a wide range of activities. However, we are incredibly proud again that our young men are continuing to 'buck the trend' and we have retained high levels of participation in co-curricular activities.
Registrations to date this year in a range of sporting activities include: Badminton - 60 young men registered and competing, Basketball - 388, Canoe Polo - 28, Cricket - 205, Football - 237, Hockey - 119, Rugby - 397, Squash - 36, Snow Seekers - 30, Table Tennis - 63, Touch Rugby - 127, Volleyball - 44 and Smallbore Shooting - 26.
These figures do not include the significant number of young men involved in Kapa Haka, the Pasifika Club, Junior Musical Theatre, The Rector's Company, Stage Band, junior and senior Concert Bands, OK Chorale, SOAP Choir, Drum Squad as well as a range of other music groups and nearly 200 young men receiving tuition each week through the itinerant music programme, Vex Robotics, Clay Target Shooting, debating and a multitude of other activities.
Through our daily assemblies, school newsletters, website, Stratus, Instagram and Facebook, our young men and other members of our school community can see the very wide range of co-curricular activities we offer. The promotion of these opportunities, and the celebration of student success, is very deliberate. We strongly believe that involvement in co-curricular activities is an essential component of an effective education for young men and a fundamental aspect of the development of their character - alongside the many benefits for both physical and mental health and wellbeing.
In recent years the Association of Boys’ Schools New Zealand commissioned the independent New Zealand Council of Education Research (NZCER) to undertake a study comparing the achievement of boys in boys’ schools, with the achievement of boys in coeducational schools. The results of this study, which utilised several years of NCEA achievement data, were unequivocal; boys in boys’ schools are more likely to achieve educational qualifications than boys who attend coeducational schools, boys in boys’ schools are more likely to gain Merit and Excellence endorsements than boys who attend coeducational schools, and boys who attend boys’ schools are far less likely to leave school without a formal qualification when compared to boys who attend coeducational schools. Furthermore, these findings held true across all ten deciles.
Dedication to a strong co-curricular programme was recognised as one of eight key factors accounting for the success of young men who attend boys’ schools. In her summary of the findings of this study, Cathy Wylie, NZCER Chief Researcher, stated “What was really interesting was how the high-performing schools stressed the importance of a student-centred approach, offering co-curricular activities alongside academic programmes for holistic development, and developing self-managing students who set high goals for themselves.” This statement encapsulates much of why we believe co-curricular activities are so important. Sporting and cultural activities provide vital lessons for young men as they develop their character. They put young men into situations in which they are challenged and are required to rely upon each other in order to achieve. Young men learn about working as part of a team within set rules and team culture (Tū Rangatira |Integrity), commitment, competition and hard work (Te mahi tahi | Industry), the importance of having good time management and organisational skills, they gain valuable lessons in coping with defeat and what they need to improve their performance for next time (Tū Māia | Courage), and learn how to win with humility, to take pride in their performance, while at the same time respecting their opposition.
Psychologist Richard Weissbourd identifies that empathy and an appreciation for others can be developed through team or group activities:
“Competition challenges children to appreciate the skills of opposing players even when they seem like mortal enemies, to find weaker teammates’ strengths even when those players are jeopardising the team’s chances of making the playoffs, to take the referee’s perspective, at least after the game, even when he or she has made a bad call at a critical moment. That’s the kind of demanding morality that helps to develop over time children’s capacity to see beyond their own intense feelings. To tolerate others’ flaws, to place others’ perspectives and needs on a par with their own.”
Many employers today emphasise what have traditionally been considered as ‘soft’ skills – those associated with teamwork, collaboration and relationship building. Participation in co-curricular activities provides a concrete way that young men can demonstrate the development of these skills. Increasing emphasis is being placed on co-curricular involvement in the awarding of many scholarships for tertiary study, and involvement in such activities provides another avenue for young men to set themselves apart from the competition in this area.