E-sports has grown from a recreational activity into a global competitive industry, with many schools and colleges beginning to recognise its educational potential. When introduced in a structured and supervised manner, e-sports can become a valuable extracurricular activity that helps students develop skills extending beyond gaming.
"Team-based e-sports encourage collaboration, communication, leadership and strategic thinking. Players must analyse situations quickly, adapt to changing scenarios and make decisions under pressure. Team captains learn to coordinate roles, resolve conflicts and motivate teammates, while participants also improve their digital literacy by using technology and online platforms effectively," explains Joe Cyril, Health and Physical Education Teacher at Sh. Goidhoo School, Maldives.
However, experts caution that excessive gaming can affect students' physical and mental well-being, leading to issues such as eye strain, poor posture, sleep disturbances, reduced physical activity and, in some cases, gaming addiction and social withdrawal.
Joe recommends that schools introducing e-sports treat it as an extracurricular activity with clear safeguards. These include setting screen-time limits, ensuring adult supervision, selecting age-appropriate games, enforcing online safety and fair-play policies, and maintaining academic eligibility requirements. He adds that regular physical exercise and wellness programmes should remain an essential part of every student's routine.
Parents play an important role in helping children maintain a healthy balance by setting routines that prioritise academics, physical activity and adequate sleep while ensuring gaming remains limited and well supervised. Emphasising the importance of online safety, Rajith Patel, a professional e-sports caster, stresses that parents should stay actively involved in their children's gaming activities by knowing who they are playing with, understanding the online communities they are part of, and monitoring their overall online interactions.
Speaking about career opportunities, Rajith notes that e-sports offers roles beyond professional gaming, including game developer, e-sports coach or analyst, and content creator or streamer. However, he cautions that building a career in the industry is highly competitive and not easily accessible. He advises students to pursue e-sports alongside their academics so that they have a strong backup option while exploring opportunities in the growing gaming industry.