The country's first e-sports high school thought it would turn out pro gamers. Instead, it attracted an unexpected demographic: Dropouts.
Wataru Yoshida had had enough. He wasn’t going back to school. He disliked his teachers, chafed against the rules and was bored by his classes. So, in the middle of 2020, as Japan’s schools reopened after pandemic closings, Wataru decided to stay home and play video games all day.Now, after more than a year out of the classroom, Wataru, 16, has returned to school, though not a normal one.
Other countries like the United States have reported higher rates, but it is difficult to make direct comparisons because of varying definitions of absenteeism. As they struggle to address school refusal, educators have experimented with different models, including distance learning. In December, Tokyo announced that it would open a school in the metaverse. Promotional photos looked as if they were straight out of a Japanese role-playing game.
For them, it seemed like a potential haven. But for their parents, it was a last resort. Once the school realised it was tapping into an unexpected demographic of absentee students, it invested considerable effort in soothing parental concerns. At this high school, students study core subjects like Math, Biology and English, and are also instructed on competition strategies for popular games like Fortnite and Valorant.
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An e-sports school in Japan stumbles on a way to get dropouts back in classJapan’s first e-sports high school attracted an unexpected demographic of chronic absentee students. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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