All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. This old saying came to my mind recently; this is why, regardless of my busy schedule, I ensure to get time off to meet up with friends.

My colleague from England who is an English teacher, told me a story of how in some countries, like England and Brazil, parents prefer schools that offer sports and other entertainment activities as part of their curriculum. Co-curricular activities are so important to them that teachers are required to have special skills in the aforementioned discipline.

Physical education, or PE, is partly how ‘entertainment’ is administered; it is a common practice with many schools. However, it should be noted that in many developing countries, this is an overlooked aspect that is only practiced by a few and not necessarily included in the school learning curriculum.

Also, referring to Brazil and England, entertainment is actually part of class work that just like other subjects, contributes to the overall marks at the end of the term.

To revitalise our education and make it suitable for today’s needs, there is need to make learning more fun than it is today, students should be able to wake-up yearning to go to class with a curiosity of what lies ahead. This helps them relax, hence, performing well in class.

In the quest to make learning more useful for human development, it is important that this concept be highly considered. We should borrow ideas from educationists such as Paulo Freire that advocate for a fun-filled form of learning that motivate students to perform better. 

While this kind of education promotes effective communication between students and their teachers, it can also create healthy competition among students. Integrating students in a friendly classroom and outdoor atmosphere that fosters inter-personal ties is very important when it comes to achieving high quality education.

The writer is a PhD student at Beijing Normal University

pontiankbr@outlook.com