Esports to be taught in schools

The meteoric rise of Esports has seen an increase in jobs for young people. Having skills such as digital communication, video editing, coding and software development has allowed students to pursue a career in gaming.

UK examiner Pearson has teamed up with the British Esports Association over the course of the pandemic to design a level 3 BTEC qualification. The course will allow students to learn about creating an enterprise, research skills, data analysis and development of the teams and games.

One of the first schools to offer the subject to students is Wilmington Academy in Dartford, Kent. With support from The Leigh Academies Trust and local sponsors, the school has been able to convert an old classroom into an ‘Esports Arena’. The classroom will contain several gaming computers, consoles and its own sportswear merchandise.

Merchandise and sportswear have become a large part of the Esports industry. Selling branded items such as t-shirts, hats and sportswear gives the team a chance to create a core fanbase — which will be taught as part of the course.

Headteacher Michael Gore explained the decision to take on the subject: “We did a lot of research into job opportunities and career opportunities and we found a bit of a niche in the market where Esports was one of the highest grossing careers”. He also said: “Globally it is a huge market and we wanted to make sure our students had the skills and could manage those skills in an effective way and have apprenticeships.”

With the increase of those interested in Esports, it seems as it was only a matter of time before we began to see the phenomenon move its way into education. Universities in the US have included Esports as a part of their syllabus for a while now. Many higher education schools have their own teams that compete nationally.

Esports has become just as influential and successful as traditional sports and may open a lot of doors for young people concerned about their future.