Five students from Chrisland Schools have emerged first in Africa to receive an eStars award. eStars is an innovative educational esports platform in the United Kingdom. The students, Khadijah Alege, Khalid Olatunji, Brian Leghemo, Adeolu Adewumi, and Ayomide Ojo were recognised at the launch of eStars in Nigeria, which was held at the British High Commission in Lagos on Tuesday.
Eleven-year-old Alege, a Year 7 student, earned a star award as the top of five students honoured by eStars at an event marking the launch of a strategic partnership between Chrisland Schools Limited and eStars.
The stellar performances of Chrisland Schools’ students globally explain why platforms like eStars introduce innovative academic and game-changing initiatives to the school.
For you to understand how to play a game, it means you can think properly and coordinate, which is very critical for students.
It would be recalled that Chrisland Schools’ Mmesomachukwu Okonkwo emerged as the top candidate in the world in English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement) at the 2022 Cambridge IGCSE, while Oluwabukolami Adeyemi secured the top spot in the world in law and received the High Achievement Award for Cambridge AS Level Psychology in 2022.
Also, recently, Zara Sule emerged as the Gold Medalist at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023 (Senior Category).
The Managing Director of Chrisland Schools Limited, Mrs. Ibironke Adeyemi at the official launch, applauded the timely partnership with eStars, noting that education in this current century should be forward-thinking, innovative, engaging, and fascinating.
Hosting the eStars team to a dinner on Wednesday, Mrs. Adeyemi, on behalf of the founder and chairman of Chrisland Schools, High Chief Dr. (Mrs.) Winifred Awosika, welcomed the team to Nigeria and extolled the enduring legacy of the school over 47 years.
She said, “We are proud of our brand and proud that we are contributing tremendously to education in Nigeria and Africa.”
At the dinner, 10-year-old Falomo Ernest (Year 7), who had interacted with the platform, described it as having a beautiful outlook and sectors from which a player can choose. He noted that the platform includes sections where a player can see their progress, average score, and time spent on the game.
“The platform has taught me cooperative skills as I have had to play football with a team online, quick decision-making, and how to explore more,” he said, recommending the platform to all young people as it boosts every aspect of education.
The school’s PTA chairman, Reverend ThankGod Oganwo, commended the initiative and assured the school of maximum cooperation from parents.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of eStars, Mags Byrne, affirmed that Chrisland was the first school approached by the team for the pilot programme in Nigeria.
According to Byrne, eStars aims to revolutionise education and equip students for prosperous careers in the rapidly growing gaming industry by integrating eSports into school curricula. This, she said, offers students a unique and engaging way to learn essential skills such as teamwork, innovation, leadership, and time management.
“We are not just teaching them to be gamers. We are teaching them about business, jobs, and career prospects, using our qualifications as reference points for universities. This approach ensures that students not only develop gaming skills but also acquire valuable transferable skills applicable to various other fields.
“eStars’ commitment to education extends beyond the classroom, as the platform is actively collaborating with stakeholders across different sectors, including government, education, and business, to establish Nigeria as a leading eSports hub in Africa,” she said.
She expressed her team’s desire to see the platform adopted by all schools across the country, whether privately or publicly owned. “Nigeria is the first place, and we want to use Nigeria as the hub for Africa.”
Commenting further on the partnership, the Executive Head of School Academics, Mr. Segun Ogunsola, expressed satisfaction with the partnership, stating that eStars uses gaming to teach skills, while Chrisland ensures learners develop the competitive skills needed to excel globally.
According to him, the school, in its quest to provide the best education and a leading edge to learners, has embraced technology, highlighting that eStars aligns with the school’s pursuits and programmes.
He explained that through eStars e-sport, learners are exposed to technology-driven games that develop 21st-century skills like teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking, strategic thinking, and planning.
Ogunsola emphasised that child protection and safeguarding are key focuses of the school, with policies and strategies in place. He assured that while the school is aware of cyberbullying and harmful online activities, eStars has incorporated security measures to control and protect learners’ online activities.
“It is restricted to what learners are supposed to benefit from the platform. So it is a controlled platform with access limitations, ensuring everyone is safe,” he said.
An IT expert and member of the advisory board of Chrisland Schools, Mr. Adeniyi Olowoniyi, described eStars as a platform where learners can use gaming to learn.
On whether gaming can distract learners, Olowoniyi, an alumnus of the school, explained that games enhance coordination, time management, and critical thinking.
“For you to understand how to play a game, it means you can think properly and coordinate, which is very critical for students,” he added.
