Studies Show Half Of Parents Want Esports To Become A Lesson In School
One of the largest overarching stigmas surrounding the growth of esports lies with the future generation convincing their parents that esports can be a career, rather than a hobby. As many of us in the industry have faced such conversations with our own parents, a new wave of upcoming potential talents will also have to convince their older guardians that this is an industry set to thrive, rather than be a distinction from the core subjects such as Maths and Science.
However, it now appears that parents are also hopeful for the future of esports, if it is brought to the surface in the right manner. Recent studies have now found that almost half of parents want esports to be taught in schools, in a bid to educate themselves too.
Parents Want Esports in Schools
According to a UK study commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel, "nearly half (48%) of parents say esports should be added to the school/college curriculum". The studies found that parents would like to see the subject be taught as a lesson, although others would prefer it to be an after-school extracurricular activity/club.
Camilla Maurice, Curriculum Manager at MidKent College, which offers the BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Esports commented on the study, saying, "Esports offers a new way to engage students who can’t or don’t want to participate in physical sports."
Parents were also found to believe that esports allows children to develop skills that they might not get through traditional education methods, as 69% of the survey agreed on the statement. The likes of teamwork (62%), problem-solving (57%), confidence (54%), and communication (54%) were the traits that parents found that their child gains through esports, that they would otherwise struggle to get through mainstream sports and education.
Why Isn't Esports Taught In Schools?
The British Esports Association, who pioneered the BTEC Level 3 Esports qualification, have now found that 70 colleges up and down the UK will offer the Pearson-backed course, although there is still more to be done to encourage schools to teach esports.
According to the study, nearly four out of five of financial decision-makers in schools (79%) believe esports should be taught in schools, and of those, over half (52%) think that esports being taught in school would help increase grades in other subjects.
However, 55% of the financial decision-makers in education agree that "the equipment needed for an esports provision is too expensive for schools", and that poor network and connectivity issues also act as a barrier.
Alongside the practical measures of esports and gaming, topics such as Marketing, Social Media Campaigning, Broadcast Production, and Game Development are being taught to those undergoing esports education programmes, breathing confidence into the future of the industry.
