E-sports move millions of dollars in prizes every year, a detail that has inevitably led to several scandals related to the use of amphetamines to boost competitors' performance. However, e-sports are here to stay, so much so that a high school in Norway will introduce them as a subject starting in August, including physical training, video game study, and nutrition recommendations.
The idea of an educational institution having a video game or similar entertainment has always gone against the wishes of authorities. I still vividly remember when two foosball tables appeared at my school. The addiction was total… and that caused the tables to last only a couple of months. However, it is 2016, and the view of things has changed. The big names in computing are looking to train the next generation of engineers and software designers, but if schools refuse to accept new learning methods, that search is meaningless. The exception to the rule is about to materialize in Norway, with a new subject: e-sports.
Details of the Initiative
According to what was published by the gamer.no portal, the Garnes School in the city of Bergen (the second largest in Norway) will start a class of e-sports starting in August. In essence, the plan is to place e-sports at the same level of demand as other sports in a conventional physical education class. Each class will be divided into two parts: 15 students will play a specific title, while another 15 will perform physical exercises aimed at improving reflexes and endurance. Each student's performance will have its corresponding score, and values such as knowledge and overall ability within a game, communication, cooperation, and tactical skill will be taken into account.
In total, the subject will require five hours per week, and it was announced that this program will be extended for three years. Regarding hardware, participants will have access to high-performance systems equipped with Nvidia graphics cards, but they will have to bring their own keyboards, mice, and headphones. The only unknown is the final list of games. Dota 2, League of Legends, CS:GO, and StarCraft II are on the table, but others may emerge.
Not the First, but Hoping to Spread
The most striking thing? Norway is not the first country to consider a program of e-sports for its schools. Its Swedish neighbors did something similar last year, and if it succeeds, the trend is likely to expand across much of the European territory.
