Game Time: Should Schools Embrace Esports?
Exploring Thailand’s digital revolution in education and what it could mean for our classrooms.
Walk through any international school in Thailand and you’ll likely see a familiar sight; projectors hum, fingers swipe rapidly on tablets, you may even hear some shouts from a particularly heated game of Kahoot. Technology is already transforming the learning experience. Yet increasingly, one form of digital engagement is standing out – not for its novelty, but for its unexpected educational potential: esports.
Esports, or competitive gaming, is now officially recognised as a professional sport by the Thai government. Since 2021, this recognition has enabled formal support from the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, with the Thailand E-Sports Federation (TESF) overseeing the sport’s development nationally. As a result, athletes benefit from improved infrastructure, funding and legitimacy, while schools are being encouraged to explore their place in education.
This shift presents both a challenge and an opportunity for schools. Are we ready to take esports seriously? More importantly, are we willing to engage with it in a way that adds meaningful value to our students’ learning?
The Impact on Students: More Than Just Games
Young people are already immersed in gaming culture. For many, this is more than a pastime, it is a digital social space, a creative outlet and a competitive environment that demands quick thinking and collaboration. Ignoring this reality can create a disconnect between school and the world students live in.
In contrast, structured esports programmes offer an opportunity to bridge that gap. When implemented thoughtfully, esports can support:
Teamwork and Communication: Many games require teams to plan strategies, communicate under pressure and evaluate performance together. These skills are transferable well beyond the screen.
Leadership and Responsibility: Esports roles go beyond players. Team captains, coaches, analysts and managers all contribute, creating opportunities for students to take ownership and lead their peers.
Digital Literacy and Media Skills: Students involved in esports often engage with streaming, content creation and shout casting, video editing, data analysis, and digital marketing, all highly relevant in today’s job market.
Inclusion and Equity: Unlike traditional sports, esports is less dependent on physical ability, gender or language. Students from diverse backgrounds can compete on equal footing, building confidence and connections in ways that traditional models sometimes fail to offer.
Mental Agility and Resilience: Competitive gaming is intense. Success requires fast decision-making, persistence after failure and managing the highs and lows of performance, key attributes in both academic and personal life.
It’s important to acknowledge the risks too. Excessive screen time, sedentary habits and online safety concerns remain real. These can, however, be mitigated through clear boundaries, supportive adult guidance and holistic programming that includes physical wellbeing, digital citizenship and offline activities.
A Curriculum Students Actually Care About
Introducing esports into schools should not mean simply creating a club and walking away. The deeper opportunity lies in how it can shape a curriculum that feels relevant, exciting and genuinely future-facing.
For example, schools might incorporate esports themes into:
Computer Science and ICT: Programming, game development or understanding the algorithms behind matchmaking and game engines.
Business Studies and Entrepreneurship: Branding, sponsorship, event management and the economics of the gaming industry.
Media and English: Writing reviews, producing streams, shout casting, commentating matches, or scripting in-game narratives.
Wellbeing and PSHE: Conversations around healthy online behaviour, screen-life balance and managing digital identity.
This is where schools can genuinely innovate. Rather than viewing esports as an isolated activity, it can act as a lens through which to make broader learning more meaningful. Students are more likely to engage with content when they see its relevance to their passions and potential futures.
Where We Go from Here
This is not a call to replace sports fields with gaming chairs. Physical activity, outdoor learning and human connection remain vital, as I argued in my article ‘Tech or Trees?’ However, schools must also evolve alongside the world students inhabit. Esports may be a surprising vehicle, but it could also be one of the most effective for helping students thrive in a digital age.