There is a conflict of opinion among scholars about what children should engage in after closing hours at school. While some experts opine that they should enrol in extra lessons, others believe it is a time for them to have fun. I am in support of the latter viewpoint, but I will dilate on both sides and give a concluding view.
Examining the former opinion, the primary argument put forward by the proponents of this view is that having additional classes would improve students’ academic excellence. This is because they would have the opportunity of learning from other tutors with different methodologies of teaching and in a relaxed atmosphere compared to their schools. Evidence abounds that a significant number of primary school students who had extra tutorials in African countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe passed their final year exams in one sitting. However, this survey constitutes only a negligible proportion of the overall picture and hence, cannot be relied on to recommend extra classes for students.
On the contrary, the critics of the aforementioned viewpoint argue that, to avoid social isolation, children should be allowed to enjoy their hours after school. I totally agree with them because this would give them the benefit of having social interactions with their peers which would improve their school grades. Through this, they would have time to relax and their immediate as well as remote recall of whatever they might have been taught in school would be significantly better, facilitating improved academic performances. To exemplify, a research carried out in the USA by some educators showed that students who enjoyed the privilege to play around after regular school activities rather than being coerced into additional hours of teaching outperformed their colleagues who had extra lessons. Without a doubt, I believe that every child should be allowed to enjoy their leisure after traditional school time.
In conclusion, there are valid arguments on both sides of the debate. However, on balance, it appears to me that children should not have extra tutorials after their customary school closing time to enhance their academic performances.