In response to the continued surge of the gaming phenomenon and led by science teacher Yussuf Ferkh, the innovative 10-week program is a culmination of a five-year journey that began in 2015 when he first started a gaming club at the school.
With assistance from major sponsors such as The Lantern Club, Bankstown Sports Club and the Canterbury Bankstown Rugby League Club, the school redesigned one of its classrooms into an E-Sports Academy with seven computers, a PlayStation 4 and top-of-the-line computer desks from M-Wave.
The future-focused program also assists students develop a better grasp of coding, improve their industry understanding, and provide them with opportunities to engage in critical and creative thinking.
A proud graduate of Punchbowl Boys’ High School, Mr Ferkh strongly believes that integrating technology-based programs into the school’s future-focused curriculum is essential in more ways than one.
“By engaging them in a program that teaches them to game responsibly and critically, we open our students up to many learning opportunities while helping them avoid the classic pitfalls of gaming,” he said.
“Instead of falling into unhealthy gaming patterns, proper school-based training allows them to utilise their experiences to develop skills, such as teamwork, that will help them succeed as they transition towards tertiary study and the workforce.
“We have students who have really excelled in e-Sports.
“This year alone, one of our students, Gabriel El-Adib, made it into the semi-finals of an NBA2k19 competition.”
The program currently operates within the school as a sport every Tuesday. Punchbowl Boys’ High School is currently gearing up for the start of the 10-week e-Sports program covering a variety of future-focused skills in 2020.
