Numerous studies have shown over the years that extra-curricular activities go a long way toward producing well-rounded, conscientious, confident students.

Popular programmers like dance, martial arts and football are abundantly available in many local communities, and some (like United Dance Productions and North Village Community Club) even take a keen interest in each child's performance in school.

But the traditional extra-curricular programme is an in-school activity, designed to complement the learning process and teach a skill that is not necessarily a requirement, but certainly an enhancement.

Programmers like chess club, newspaper club, debate team, quiz club, "mathletes'', track team, yearbook, and information technology club (IT) provide a wealth of useful skills that can be used in a productive, positive way throughout life. Dr. Derek Tully, President of the Bermuda Middle School Association, sees extra-curricular activities as an integral part of the learning process.

"Schools end officially at 3.30 p.m. However, this does not mean that the learning process comes to an abrupt halt. There are many excellent opportunities for children to stay when the school day is finished. Schools offer a wide variety of these learning opportunities. Children often simply call them 'clubs' or 'activities' but in fact they are all part of the learning process."

In a perfect world, every school in Bermuda would have a full complement of after-school activities available to students each day. The sad reality, however, is that extra-curricular activities have become more rare over the years.

The good news is that there is a drive to revive the old standards going on as we speak. Activities like debate team and quiz club are still quite active in most schools, and are even tied to an annual inter-school competition.

Our local quiz competition has become quite a celebrated affair in recent years, and debate team is certainly something that teaches sharp intellectual skills.

Dr. Tully describes the value of a debate club.

"Take, for example, a debate club, where children in middle school stay until 5 p.m. to practice the art of debating ideas ¿ point and counterpoint. This is actually quite an intellectual challenge. Children are asked to debate, for example, the idea that voting should be compulsory for everyone."

Indeed, anything that gets middle school students thinking about the electoral process in a substantive way is a service to the entire community.

Dr. Tully continues: "Should voting be compulsory or not? To argue for one of those ideas may be straightforward. A child or a team of children can say what they really feel. What if a teacher then asks a team to argue against the same topic? A whole new world comes into play; objective thought, analysis, searching for strengths of an argument and so on. This is just one after school activity in which learning goes past 3.30 p.m."

Perhaps the most fortunate feature of extra-curricular activities is that they are optional. Therefore, students who just don't want to be there will very rarely hinder instruction. This is especially favourable for activities that involve a lot of instruction, like debate, quiz club, or newspaper.

There are those clubs that don't require a lot of instruction though. But don't worry: activities that require minimal instruction can also be very enriching.

"What about Double-Dutch skipping?" Dr. Tully offers.

"A learning activity? Well, yes! Clearwater Middle School will be organising a Double Dutch Skipping league and competition this coming school year as an after-school activity.

Children can join a league, accumulate points, enter a competition, join in a hugely kinaesthetic activity which teaches counting, timing teamwork, physical education, and offers the opportunity to win prizes!"

Needless to say, there is quite a bit of excitement concerning the after school programme for the upcoming school year in at least one of our middle schools.

Which is a decidedly positive thing, because after-school activities serve the entire community in a host of ways.

They help develop well-rounded students, they keep at-risk students occupied during those tricky hours between the end of school and the return of their parents, they provide an opportunity for students and teachers to interact on a different level and they instil the idea that learning can be loads of fun for everyone.

Dr. Tully sums up the idea of providing extra-curricular activities for students like this:

"The school band, the basketball and soccer training, table tennis competitions, rehearsals for the Christmas production. They all play a part in making learning fun and academically rewarding at the same time.

In addition, the often-rigid authoritarian academic atmosphere can be reduced, and more informal interactions can take place between teachers, administrators and children.

This is all part of their social as well as academic education. Yes, the more after school activities, the better!"

Conventional wisdom holds that the old tenet 'more is better' is not always true. This is not one of those cases.

Dr. Tully's enthusiasm for after-school activities is absolutely on target, and, hopefully, quite infectious.

Parents can of course enrol their children into a multitude of enriching activities outside of school, but there's no denying the value of an extra-curricular activity that starts right after school. Let's try to bring a small piece of that back in 2007.