A large majority of students in India face difficulties at home in developing their hobbies. Thus, school’s responsibility in the matter gets enhanced greatly. Hobbies have a very great educational value. Besides, they enable students to make worthy use of their leisure time.
Through hobbies, students can get opportunities (i) to develop their creative abilities, (ii) for entertainment and (iii) for constructive use of leisure time. A student selects and pursues a hobby in accordance with his/her interest in it and thus is intrinsically motivated in the activity without getting tired or bored.
A school should encourage all its students to take up a hobby. For this, the staff should identify which hobbies they will take up and subsequently encourage students to pursue by working with them. A hobby can be successful only if a teacher takes keen and personal interest in it.
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Teachers can also solicit help from some elder/senior students who have knowledge of certain types of art and/or craft work so as to enable younger students to learn the same. However, such elder students must have a keen sense of responsibility and patience.
Each group pursuing a hobby must have a leader to guide and supervise them – either a teacher or a senior student. School should make arrangements once or twice a week after school hours for students to pursue their hobby.
It should also supply raw materials, tools and apparatus for the same. Some schools charge additional fees for hobby. Besides, some amount out of the annual day programme/union funds/sports could be used for this purpose if possible.
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If articles or objects made by students are sold, funds thus generated could be used for buying more materials and tools. Schools can also organize an exhibition of things produced by students. This can motivate students, enhance their confidence, generate income and boost the image of the school.
It is advisable to convince students to take one hobby and pursue it for some years. There are various types of hobbies that students can take up: (i) music-classical (vocal or instrumental) and light, (ii) dance, (iii) dramatics, (iv) drawing and painting, (v) photography, (vi) fabric painting, (vii) tye-and-dye, (viii) clay modeling, (ix) gardening, (x) wood craft, (xi) soap-making, (xii) candle-making, (xiii) collection of coins, stamps and other such specimens etc.