Too much school work not healthy for child - Doctor

A general physician, Dr Tosin Odusanmi, has said that too much school work without extra-curricular activities was not healthy for a child.

Odusanmi of Alafiatayo Hospital, Ibadan, said this while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan.

He said that while education is a priority for many parents seeking to secure the future of their children, it should be balanced with leisure activities.

"Today, you see children not being given as much time to engage in extracurricular activities as before.

"You see many children doing more school work even after school.

The doctor said that while intellectual development was good, it should also go hand in hand with physical activities like sports, games and playing with other children.

"Studies have shown that spending too much time on homework means that students are not meeting their physical developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills.

"For instance, physical activity in children improves their strength and endurance as well as the health of the child.

"It also helps to build healthy bones, muscles and helps to control weight,"

According to him, engaging a child in extra-curricular activities helps to promote social development.

"It encourages the child to work together and share ideas with other children and this helps in emotional development as well," he said.