As parents, we constantly strive to equip our children for a successful future. We enrol them in the best schools, hire tutors, and encourage them to chase top grades. Academic excellence often seems like the ultimate goal, a direct pathway to prestigious universities and thriving careers. But in our pursuit of scholastic achievements, are we overlooking something even more fundamental:
Behaviour, values and the essential life skills that bridge the gap between knowledge, well-being, and real-world success?
THE ALLURE OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
There’s no denying the importance of strong academic foundations. Good grades open doors, providing access to higher education and competitive fields. Knowledge and critical thinking skills gained through rigorous study are crucial for navigating a complex world. We see successful individuals who have excelled academically, and it’s easy to assume their achievements are solely a result of their intellectual prowess. And while Academics help – its rarely the only aspect – behaviour, values and life skills – all are equally important.
The world is rapidly evolving.
The skills needed for success today and in the future – go far beyond academics. While academic capabilities & skills are foundational & get you hired, it’s often your behaviour, character, practical abilities, and personal well-being that determine if you thrive, lead, and truly make an impact, succeed.
WHATS IMPORTANT BEYOND ACADEMIC GRADES?
VALUES, BEHAVIOR, AND ESSENTIAL LIFE SKILLS
Imagine a brilliant student who consistently scores perfect marks, but struggles with empathy, teamwork, or managing their own time and finances. What if they lack the discipline to maintain consistent sleep, leading to burnout, or neglect their physical health, impacting their energy and focus? How far will they truly go in a collaborative workplace if they can’t effectively communicate their ideas or resolve conflicts?
Values like honesty, integrity, empathy, respect, responsibility, perseverance, and kindness are the bedrock of a well-rounded individual. They dictate how our children interact with the world, build relationships, handle challenges, and contribute to society.
Building on this foundation, life skills are the practical competencies that empower our children to navigate daily life effectively and independently, encompassing both practical abilities and personal well-being. These include:
- Communication Skills: Active listening, clear expression, collaborative approach, conflict resolution, and public speaking.
- Problem-Solving & Decision-Making: Analysing situations, evaluating options, and taking initiative.
- Time Management & Organization: Prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and managing responsibilities.
- Financial Literacy: Understanding budgeting, saving, and responsible spending.
- Adaptability & Flexibility: Adjusting to new situations, learning new things, and embracing change.
- Resilience & Self-Regulation: Bouncing back from setbacks, managing emotions, and maintaining a positive outlook.
- Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively with others, contributing to group goals, and showing respect for others & diverse perspectives.
- Digital Literacy: Navigating the digital world safely, responsibly, and effectively.
- Health & Wellness Disciplines:
- Daily Fitness: Understanding the importance of physical activity, incorporating exercise into routines, and maintaining physical health.
- Consistent Sleep Habits: Establishing and adhering to regular waking and sleeping times, recognizing sleep’s vital role in concentration, mood, and overall health.
- Basic Self-Care: Understanding nutrition, hygiene, and stress management.
HERE’S WHY THESE “SOFT SKILLS” AND PRACTICAL ABILITIES ARE ANYTHING BUT SOFT:
- Building Strong Relationships: In life, both personal and professional success hinges on our ability to connect with others. Empathy and respectful communication foster strong bonds, whether it’s with friends, colleagues, or future clients.
- Navigating Challenges: Life is full of ups and downs. Resilience, coupled with strong problem-solving skills, allows our children to learn from mistakes, adapt to unexpected circumstances, and persevere through difficulties.
- Ethical Decision-Making & Practical Application: Our children will face countless moral dilemmas and practical choices. A strong moral compass, guided by honesty and integrity, combined with critical thinking and decision-making skills, will empower them to make choices that align with their principles and contribute positively to their communities.
- Independence & Self-Sufficiency: Life skills enable children to take charge of their own lives – from managing their homework schedule, to cleaning & organising their spaces, fixing things with mechanical interventions, optimising costs, to eventually managing their finances and careers, and crucially, managing their own well-being for sustained energy and focus.
- Enhanced Academic Performance: Disciplines like regular sleep and physical exercise/activities directly impact cognitive function, memory, and concentration, indirectly supporting academic success.
- True Leadership: The most influential leaders aren’t just intelligent; they are ethical, compassionate, excellent communicators, adept problem-solvers, and often possess the personal discipline to manage their own energy and health – setting a powerful example.
STRIKING THE BALANCE: A HOLISTIC APPROACH
So, what matters more? It’s not an either/or scenario. The truth is, a truly successful and fulfilling life is built upon a strong foundation of academic excellence, robust values and behaviour, and well-developed life skills, including personal well-being disciplines. The goal isn’t to choose one over the other, but to integrate them, fostering a holistic development in our children.
HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE THIS BALANCE?
- Be the Role Model: Our children are always watching, observing – even if it may not seem so. Demonstrate the values, life skills, and healthy habits you wish to instill through your own actions – from managing your finances and communicating effectively, to prioritizing your daily walk and getting enough sleep.
- Open Communication: Talk about values, practical skills, and healthy habits explicitly. Discuss real-life situations that highlight ethical dilemmas, effective communication, problem-solving strategies, and the importance of a good night’s sleep or daily exercise.
- Praise Effort, Character, and Practical Skills: While celebrating good grades, also acknowledge and praise their kindness, perseverance, efforts in teamwork, successful budgeting for a school trip, their ability to organize their study space, or their discipline in sticking to a consistent bedtime.
- Encourage Extracurriculars and Community Involvement: These activities provide invaluable opportunities to practice teamwork, leadership, empathy, communication, problem-solving, and often physical activity outside the academic setting.
- Teach Problem-Solving and Resilience: Instead of always shielding them from failure, guide them through challenges, helping them learn from mistakes, develop coping mechanisms, and find their own solutions. Give them age-appropriate responsibilities that require planning and execution.
- Involve Them in Household Management: Simple tasks like meal planning, budgeting for groceries, organizing their own belongings, and even helping with chores that involve physical movement are excellent ways to build practical life skills and embed good habits.
- Establish Healthy Routines: Work together to create consistent routines for waking up, sleeping, and incorporating physical activity. Explain why these routines are important for their energy, focus, and overall well-being.
- Partner with Schools: Choose schools that emphasize character development, the teaching of life skills, and promote a healthy lifestyle alongside academics.
LOOK FOR SCHOOLS WITH A GOOD CULTURE & TEACHERS – NOT JUST GLITZY INFRASTRUCTURE.
The teachers are the most important – in any good school ; as also the culture of the school – which can be assessed by a simple walk through and/or things like teacher attrition ,etc – as also the peer group of the child / parent groups. Stay away from a school – with significant mis match of culture – with your values/ideals.
Engage with teachers, other parents with children in that school and try to ask/look out for these aspects – during the walk through – when assessing a school . do not get carried away by the fancy/glitzy infrastructure
Ultimately, success isn’t just about what our children achieve academically, but who they become as individuals, how competently they navigate the complexities of life, and how well they manage their own well-being.
By prioritizing academic rigor alongside the cultivation of strong values, positive & collaborative behaviour, essential practical life skills, and healthy daily disciplines, we empower them to not only excel in their chosen paths but to also become compassionate, responsible, independent, healthy, and impactful individuals who enrich the world around them.
What are your thoughts on this? How do you prioritize academic achievement, character development, life skill building, and healthy habits in your children’s lives?
Do share your insights and strategies in the comments below.
We hope this helps you, dear parent!
Meanwhile enjoy developing your child at a good neighborhood school, home and outdoors
There are some great parks/green spots/sports fields near at as well near our school campuses – consider locating a suitable one in your neighborhood, for encouraging physical activity – the seeds of any sports – near say:
- SouthCity1
- Sector31
- Sector40
- Sushant Lok
- Sector72
- Sector70
- Sectot71
- Sector48
- Badshahpur corridor*
- Leisure Valley
(*) which is right next to the Sixth Element – Tata Primanti campus – and the trees near our school’s north/east boundary – help filter our school campus air, too.
Why – the Sixth Element School?
The Sixth Element was a phrase coined by the school founders 20 years back to illustrate igniting the joy of learning – crucial for children’s development – as we nurture and prepare them for the future.
How to Foster a Well-Rounded Child?
While there is lots of operating structure and detailed SOPs in the school’s daily /weekly/monthly/annual – schedules – “how” the same is executed is unique – i.e., the Sixth element way of incorporating co-curricular & scientific & artistic activities, project work etc – leading to children enjoy learning & look forward to coming to school each day (and interestingly they do miss school on holidays 😊 ! )
Some examples of what’s done to instill values & character building:
- Instill values: Understanding differences between right and wrong is often discussed in its many facets. Discussing environmental issues, volunteering for community activities, clean-ups, and respecting all living beings.
- Values as a Compass: Values are the moral principles that guide our actions. The Cambridge International Curriculum emphasizes global citizenship and community service and fosters values like respect, empathy, and responsibility.
- Embrace sustainability: Reduce waste, conserve energy, and grow your food together. Encouraging minimalism (BTW, we are a uniform school), upcycling, gardening, and exploring green technologies like rainwater harvesting, recycling, etc.
- Building Confidence: The curriculum’s focus on individual & team achievement (over experiential projects in small groups) and overcoming difficulties – and making progress, encouraged by the teacher, helps build self-esteem. Students develop a strong sense of confidence and resilience by setting and achieving goals.
- Life Skills for Real World: The curriculum’s focus on independent learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving equips students with essential life skills. These skills are invaluable in navigating challenges and opportunities- building confidence.
THE SIXTH ELEMENT’ School’s commitment to sustainability?
At the Sixth Element, we believe that education should go beyond classrooms. Our green, airy, spacious campuses are a living laboratory where children learn experimentally about sustainable practices. From solar panels to rainwater harvesting, recycling & near no plastics usage.
Our curriculum integrates sustainability into every subject, fostering a deep appreciation for nature, science, commerce & the arts – while instilling a desire to protect our planet.
By igniting the joy of learning and nurturing curiosity, confidence, values, and environmental consciousness – we empower children to become successful individuals and equally responsible members of society and global citizens.
Does a unique International Curriculum School like the Sixth Element help?
A progressive holistic school following Cambridge International Curriculum significantly contributes to lots of experiential learning and project-based work.
The Sixth Element School: Where Cambridge International meets India- in an exclusive, low-density, impactful format.
The reason why we chose the Cambridge International curriculum is that the blend of teacher-directed as well as learner-self-driven learning & research seems to be relevant for aspirational kids from Indian families, keen on preparing their kids to be global citizens of the future – whether based in India or overseas.
Is the Sixth Element School duly registered with Cambridge International?
Yes, The Sixth Element School – is duly registered as one of over 10,000 schools globally – as a Cambridge International school with a global registration number IA 892
Keen to see what a unique school like The Sixth Element School offers? Schedule a visit and see why it could be the perfect launchpad for your child’s bright, global future!
We started the first sixth element school 20 years back in 2004 @ Gurgaon.
Our schools & afternoon extended school & afternoon’ activities enriched’ daycare centres are unique, exclusive, compact neighborhood green campuses – where many outdoor activities & experiential learning (physical – not digital) occur with children on most days.
Our unique Smaller campus – with only two sections per class grade – and minimal children on campus allow us to focus on each child’s growth & development properly.
We are proud of our high-quality, committed teachers – the backbone of any good learning environment.
We raise well-rounded future ready individuals who are prepared to face the challenges of the world with confidence and integrity – with the proper methods and practices. For example, our foundational fitness program delivered in partnership with fit Kids, our gym, our green playgrounds and great coaches gives our school kids a great foundational fitness start.
A good understanding and partnership between parents and schools is key to nurturing the future leaders of gurugram, our great nation and planet.
THE SIXTH ELEMENT SCHOOL WE BELIEVE IN THE IMPORTANCE OF CATALYSING & ENSURING “THE SIXTH ELEMENT – i.e. THE JOY OF LEARNING ” FOR EVERY CHILD. OUR CURRICULUM IS BENCHMARKED WITH THE BEST INTERNATIONALLY WHILE DRAWING FROM OUR VERY OWN CORE ANCIENT INDIAN BEST PRACTICES SUCH AS THE GURU SHISHYA PARAMPARA) & VALUES. THANKS TO ITS 20+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND ITS CORE CHILD DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES DRAWN FROM PIAGET, VYGOSTKY AND BRUNER – WHICH IS INCIDENTALLY THE RESOURCE POOL – FOR THE FOUNDATIONAL YEARS SCHOOL CURRICULUM OF THE UPGRADED NEW EDUCATION (NEP) UNDER ROLLOUT IN INDIA NOW.
So, in line with some of India’s top and the best globally, we are now a unique 100% Cambridge International School.
the Sixth Element School
the schoolchildren love
SOUTH CITY 1. TATA PRIMANTI (sector 72)
85272-74695 or 97736-32626
since 2004(20 years)
Limited enrollment available in pre-NURSERY, NURSERY, KG & DAYCARE, grade 1 now – in our prenursery to K12 school programs.
@ Gurgaon’s only single-section “exclusive” boutique VENTILATED, AIRY, SPACIOUS. GREEN SCHOOL CAMPUSES
