The Ministry of Education's policy to integrate esports into schools nationwide is raising many eyebrows. That is because the esports-in-schools policy comes at a time when parents and governments are trying to bring children and students offline.
Governments such as that in Australia have started banning young students from using mobile phones -- major esports devices. Parents and public health experts are also worried about online gaming addiction.
Plenty of studies warn that more Thai children and teenagers are becoming addicted to online games. About 5.4% of secondary school students are diagnosed with gaming disorder, and around 22.2% of youth may exhibit problematic mobile gaming behaviours, according to studies, including "Association between Internet Gaming Disorder and Associated Parental and Peer Attachment: A Cross-sectional Study among Thai Adolescents," released last year by the Department of Psychiatry at Siriraj Hospital.
The Ministry of Education does not mention the side effects. Education Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong -- a Pheu Thai list MP -- intends to promote a new approach to education by directly linking digital skills, creativity and the future economy. Lest we forget, esports are part of the creative economy that the Pheu Thai government has sought to promote.
In the initial phase, esports will be introduced through "To Be Number One" clubs in schools nationwide to develop skills in four key areas: technology, analytical thinking, teamwork and self-management.
Make no mistake: this esports-in-schools initiative resonates with younger generations, and opponents will likely just bang their heads against the wall if they try to remove esports from schools.
In reality, schools in major cities already have active esports activities and competitions. Indeed, it would not be a big surprise if the number of students playing esports surpassed the number of students participating in traditional physical sports.
There are too many challenges for the Ministry of Education. Bringing esports into schools is not enough. The ministry needs to develop measures to strike a balance between physical and online activities. Thai students are known for a relatively sedentary lifestyle. While the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 60 minutes per day of physical activity for children, only about 26–27% of Thai students meet this daily target, according to WHO's Physical Activity Profile 2024.
The ministry needs to provide budgets for sports and cultural activities such as music and art, to give students opportunities beyond the online world and keyboards. Indeed, many Thai schools -- except for expensive international schools -- lack adequate sports facilities and arts programmes, so the Ministry of Education needs to invest in infrastructure that promotes outdoor and physical activities.
The ministry must also prepare regulations and guardrails to prevent excessive mobile phone use and online gaming among young elementary-level students, and to encourage more offline and outdoor time. Schools should also have systems to screen types of online games to reduce exposure to violent content and limit screen time. The ministry must also educate teachers and parents to monitor students to reduce addiction and its impacts.
After all, bringing online games into schools is simple -- regulating them is not.
