It sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? Studying gaming and esports in school. But for many kids, it’s starting to be a reality. While at first, schools and universities that offered an esports curriculum seemed to be few and far in between, more and more institutions seem to be adopting the practice.
A Variety of Options
There are several different ways esports can be implemented in schools – from a dedicated esports team made up of students to scholarships for talented players and even classes covering the subject matter, there is a lot out there already – and in high schools and colleges, it seems esports is here to stay.
Several universities around the world are now offering a dedicated esports curriculum – not (just) for players but for those who want to work in the industry in other capacities, such as management or event organizing.
The Esports Mantra – Starting Young
There is even a High School Esports League in the US already – it has 1500 schools as members and the number is increasing. Esports in school is an excellent extracurricular activity – the different games are varied enough to appeal to many, and participating in any extracurriculars at all can significantly boost a student’s general performance.
So great to see schools expanding their esports programs and giving them the attention they deserve! #esports #hsel https://t.co/RUhlUEjaby
— High School Esports League (@HSELesports) July 30, 2020
Naturally, there are plenty of critics that claim esports has no place in school, but overall, existing examples of an esports curriculum have shown no negative effects. In fact, kids have shown to do better in math and reading after participating in this type of extra activity.
Picking up Skills
One of the main arguments of parents everywhere is that esports and video games are a waste of time. Well, as multiple studies and questionnaires have shown, the opposite is true. Video games – and thus, an esports curriculum – have been shown to increase social skills, strategic thinking and planning, time management abilities, and more.
Esports have also shown themselves to actively foster interest in STEM subjects – in 2018, nearly 2/3rds of the college-aged League of Legends players were majoring in STEM fields according to Riot Games. In 2015, it was only 45%. In other words: esports is a great way to combat the lack of STEM graduates!
Of course, scholarships – especially in countries with high tuition – can make a lot of difference in a student’s career decisions as well. In the U.S., over 100 colleges offer this type of support – and even in Europe and Asia, some schools have started offering scholarships like this one.
It may soon become quite commonplace to see someone study esports in school. What do you think? Would you want your kids to have an esports curriculum? Would you have wanted one? Let us know on Facebook!
As always, keep it here, with EarlyGame, for more esports, gaming news and fun videos!
