Most people understand that extracurricular activities operate under different rules than students’ regular classes. What’s less clear is why certain activities are considered extracurricular. One argument is that the regular curriculum is for the more important content, while extracurricular programs are less important. But Rafael Heller suggests that the question of importance is not so clear. If extracurricular activities help students with social-emotional skills, creativity, teamwork, and other essential educational goals, perhaps they are not so extra after all.

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编者注：多余的模棱两可

大多数人都知道课外活动的规则与学生的常规班级不同。尚不清楚的是为什么某些活动被视为课外活动。一种说法是，普通课程是针对更重要的内容的，而课外课程则不那么重要。但是拉斐尔·海勒（Rafael Heller）建议，重要性的问题尚不十分清楚。如果课外活动可以帮助学生提高社交情感，创造力，团队合作和其他基本的教育目标，那么也许毕竟他们并没有那么多余。