CCA should support students in pursuing interests outside school

The current co-curricular activity (CCA) system, where students are expected to remain in the same CCA for four years, may no longer support the broader goal of developing students beyond academics.

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When CCAs replaced extra-curricular activities (ECAs) in 1999, the shift was a purposeful one – recognising that education should go beyond books to foster teamwork, resilience and character.

As a parent, I welcomed this move as a reminder that what happens outside the classroom matters too.

But today, the system feels increasingly rigid. While students do have options within a fixed list of school-approved CCAs, it does not account for those who are already actively pursuing specialised interests outside school such as figure skating, fencing and chess – areas they are passionate about and committed to developing further.