Ever dreamed of playing games at school without getting in trouble? If you’re a student in Surabaya, Indonesia, that dream might just become reality very soon. The Surabaya City Education Office is currently looking to add the popular mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang to school curriculums as an educational tool.
The news was announced by Tri Endang Kustianingsih, the Head of the Teachers and Education Personnel Division of the Surabaya City Education Office, during the launch of the MLBB Teacher Ambassador program, which took place in Surabaya on May 15. According to Kustianingsih, the Surabaya City Government is in full support of the program, viewing it as an innovative way for students to learn new skills.
The first stage of the plan will kick off this May, where 300 teachers from across elementary, junior and high school levels will be trained through the MLBB Teacher Ambassador program. Organised by the Surabaya City Government in collaboration with Moonton Games, the program will train teachers to teach their students soft skills through gaming, such as communication, teamwork, strategic thinking, and simple math.
After the training sessions, the program will be rolled out to schools in June 2025, with each school being free to organise a variety of activities around the game. These could include friendly matches, watch parties, tournaments, and even class discussions related to digital ethics and maintaining a positive and healthy attitude towards gaming.
Moonton Games’ Head of Game Ecosystem Development, Erina Tan, shared: “Our short-term goal is to instill the values of competence and sportsmanship from an early age, through a medium that students enjoy and can relate to, namely e-sports or games. In the future, we want to work with related institutions to release achievement pathway certificates* so students who excel in e-sports or gaming will be able to pursue higher education.”
“We believe that achievements in education can go hand in hand with achievements in the gaming industry, if they go through the right platforms, and receive support from the relevant parties. This program shows our dedication towards creating new opportunities for the youth of Indonesia,” she added.
What are your thoughts on the program? Do you think Malaysia should implement something similar – or do you just wish you had something like this growing up? Let us know what you think in the comments!
*Editor’s Note: sertifikat jalur prestasi, a program which allows prestigious high school students to enter college without taking the related entrance exams.
