CHENNAI: As schools focus on preparing students for a rapidly evolving world, educators are rethinking what constitutes student success. According to educators within the Cambridge system, physical wellbeing, resilience, confidence and healthy lifestyle habits are now recognised as essential components of a child's overall development. In connection with this, Tamil Nadu Association of Cambridge Schools (TACS) held a media discussion here on Tuesday.
S Prem Shankar, chairman, Holy Sai Group of Institutions and president of TACS, said that one of the defining strengths of the Cambridge curriculum is its commitment to developing learners who are ready for the world.
“The Cambridge curriculum’s inquiry-based and learner-centred approach encourages critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and real-world problem-solving while nurturing lifelong learners. Cambridge develops not only academic excellence but also learner attributes such as being confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged. These qualities help prepare students to become truly ready for the world,” he added.
The discussion also highlighted that the recent developments within the Cambridge framework have strengthened the emphasis on learner wellbeing, active learning, future-ready competencies and the development of essential life skills. Additionally, recognising the need for a more structured approach to physical development, the school recently introduced a fitness assessment and monitoring programme designed to complement its existing sports ecosystem.
“Traditional sports programmes are valuable, but we believe that a structured fitness programme would ensure that every student benefits from measurable development, not just those involved in competitive sports,” added Prem.
For this, Prem has brought P Naveen Howie, a gold medallist in shot put, discus and javelin disciplines, and his firm, Fittgen, to design a scientific fitness assessment programme at Holy Sai to help us focus on this aspect of fitness.
Howie stated, “A big misconception in education is that participation in sports automatically translates into fitness. Schools encourage students to participate in sports, but we must move from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more informed and targeted fitness model. Activities are designed to be able to develop each student’s personalised development pathways.”