Whether it's music, sports, or academics, extra-curricular activities still tend to be under-emphasized in the education system.
Yes, even high school football.
Fifty years ago, reading, writing, and arithmetic were all you needed to survive in the modern world, or so said my grandparents.
Yeah, so was wood shop. Try finding someone to do carpentry work nowadays. You used to be able to find one in every town. You're lucky if you can find one in your neighborhood that isn't backlogged with a ton of work or doesn't do it solely as a hobby.
But I digress.
Fifty years ago, work was plentiful in this country. Jobs were here, not outsourced overseas. What we consumed was what we made with our own hands.
In short, if you could read and write, you could fill out a job application. If you learned a trade, you usually did so in the military, and then went to work for a company or struck out on your own as an independent. Simple arithmetic was enough.
Now we're global. The jobs we thought would last forever, are no more. We've had to work harder at getting smarter. The 'muscle' jobs are using the muscles between our ears instead of our torsos. Oh, and don't get me started on the so-called 'new math'. I had enough trouble with the old.
So what's the point of all this?
Everything of our development, right down to the smallest detail, is important in order to stay competitive in a rapidly-tightening job market.
Time magazine's Lance Morrow once wrote: "to work for mere survival is desperate...to work for a better life for one's children and grandchildren lends the labor a fierce dignity."
No parent worth his salt wants any less than that. De-emphasizing the arts and extracurricular activities are counter-productive, especially in today's world.
Being part of a team or group strengthens a child's social skills, and in some cases, can foster leadership in some clubs or teams, which translates into stronger value in the job market. It also means that your child is capable of working well with others and can think and act 'outside the box', even if it's outside the limits of their own comfort zone.
Then there are long-term benefits. Exposure to clubs and teams also means scholarship availabilities to those who perform strongly. The ability to go to college for those whose families are of modest means, and rise above economic challenges.
Most schools have a Key Club, which is a service organization of Kiwanis International. This promotes the value of community service through volunteerism.
And most students who do join clubs are more likely to give back to their communities in their adult years. Even if it doesn't mean a college education. This may be through serving on town council, school board, or even as a volunteer fireman.
In short, what your son or daughter does in school now will play a part, however large or small, in what they will grow into as an adult.
Involvement and interaction are always positive, and should never be understated. Today's Math Team member can be tomorrow's nuclear physicist. Today's second-string linebacker can be tomorrow's high school athletic director. Today's first-chair tenor can be tomorrow's opera star. Even today's Rod and Gun Club member can be tomorrow's wildlife conservationist.
And today's cynic can be tomorrow's proudest parent.
NOTE: "Old School Dad" will be on hiatus until Sunday, January 8th.
