Esports in the Curriculum

In recent years, gaming has established itself as a worldwide interest and is on the verge of becoming the most lucrative sector in the global entertainment industry. As a result, the competitive gaming scene, also known as esports, has seen an incredible surge in popularity. With players earning millions of dollars and the global esports industry producing just under $1.4 billion in 2022, esports has become a viable alternative to traditional physical sports.  

Consequently, esports programs have been added to school curriculums around the world. Using the USA as an example, there are currently over 8,600 high school esports teams which have registered through the online PlayVS competition platform. PlayVS is officially partnered with the National Federation Of High Schools (NFHS), who is the primary leader and advocate for high school athletics programs in the United States. Alongside the staggering number of high school teams, there are also 249 colleges and universities which offer varsity esports programs affiliated with the National Association of College Esports (NACE). In 2020, It was estimated that over $16 million was offered in the form of esports scholarships. These statistics prove why the USA is one of, if not, the leader in high school and college esports. 

Asia has emerged as a strong contender to the USA esports curriculum. China, always pushing the boundaries numerically, takes college esports onto a whole new level. The business giant Tencent and its main competitor Garena has created a system where each student wanting to compete in esports can choose to represent their university. Once disclosing their student ID to these companies, students will be placed into teams with other players from the same university and begin competing in a gigantic China-wide esports league. With hundreds, if not thousands of university teams competing against one another, reputations are at stake to see who will place well and ultimately be crowned the grand champion. Across the East China Sea, Japan also has a strong history in competitive university esports. The largest competitions include the Japan University eSPORTS Championship: U-Champ and the various Japan Collegiate Championships which are held for games like League of Legends, Street Fighter and Call of Duty. Competitive gaming is so widespread in Japan that an esports high school was established in 2022, which aims to guide students into becoming a professional in the industry. Investigating further, South Korea has schools with dedicated esports departments and their own government issued esports textbooks detailing the industry’s history, different gaming genres and even tips on how to prepare for a tournament. These few examples outline why various Asian nations like China, Japan, and South Korea are providing legitimate avenues into the worldwide esports industry. 

When juxtaposed against the Australian high school and university esports scene, the land down under seems notably undeveloped. Following the same neglect as the general Australian esports industry, historically esports extra-curricular programs have been limited and rarely provide a genuine pathway into the business. However, in the last few years there have been meaningful steps in the right direction, primarily in the university sector. Initially being formed at a grassroots level, students banded together to create Australia’s very first university esports clubs. After a period of small interclub competitions, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) seized the opportunity and in 2017 became the first higher-education institution in Australia to launch a dedicated esports program. Since then, competitions organised by UniSport and the Australian Esports University League (AEUL) have grown dramatically to host a total of 110 individual teams, representing 28 universities across Australia. On the flip side, high schools have also begun incorporating esports as an extracurricular activity. Primarily driven by META High School Esports, over 2,600 students at 210 schools across Australia and New Zealand have engaged in competitive play during the 2021 season. Alongside META, the Australian Esports League (AEL) also hosts tournaments at the high school level, and latest statistics show that 60 different high schools participated in the 2022 Acer High Schools Cup.  

Aside from the economic reasons to pursue esports in the curriculum, there is also a compelling amount of literature which suggests that there are real benefits for students who participate in extracurricular esports programs. For many students all around the world, high school can be a difficult journey. With varying experiences ranging from bullying and loneliness, to neglect and a general disinterest in studying, it has been reported that schools have seen a rise in student behavioural challenges and reduced engagement. Extracurricular programs, like esports, are a viable solution to engaging students and helping them perform at their best. These student activities are proven to increase attendance and graduation rates as well as perform better in subjects likes Maths and English, resulting in a greater percentage of students pursuing higher education. As 82% of Australian kids aged 5-14, and an even larger 86% of Australians aged 15-24 play video games, it makes sense to offer an extracurricular program which interests students. Additionally, an esports program offers a socialisation aspect to student gamers who may find themselves isolated, allowing them to interact with likeminded people. There is also a wealth of skills to learn in an esports environment. These include cooperation, strategic thinking, managing success and failure, time management and social skills to name a select few. And to top it off students who engage in esports programs are often studying in the STEM fields, furthering undergraduate interest in science and technology-based faculties. 

Following the burst in gaming popularity, which birthed the competitive esports movement, schools and universities around the globe are offering extracurricular esports activities and scholarships. Students participating in these programs have seen higher rates of success and have the opportunity to learn a wide range of real-world skills. With the USA, and various Asian nations like China and Japan paving the way in high school and college esports, and Australia joining along for the ride, the future of esports both locally and internationally is as bright as ever. 

Image Credit: Alex Haney

Author: Aiden Hill