Poland adds This War Of Mine to their school curriculum

Video Games have most certainly been an artform. They have the power to change the way you look at the world and the fact that they are interactive and can force you to make tough choices makes them an art form that can impact you in a way no other artform can. While many countries and their leaders take an approach (a regressive one in my opinion) which paints them in a bad light, Poland has taken a different approach; from former Prime Minister Donald Tusk gifting The Witcher 2 to Obama to the government itself investing in CD Projekt RED. Now, Poland has become the first country to include a video game in their schools’ curriculum. The video game in question is This War of Mine 

This War of Mine sees player take control of a civilian whose family is caught up in the middle of a war. The player must make tough moral choices in order to survive along with scavenging for necessities. The game has been made by Warsaw based 11-bit studios. 

Poland’s current Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki told Polsat news, “Poland will be the first country in the world that puts its own computer game into the education ministry’s reading list. Young people use games to imagine certain situations no worse than reading books.” 

“By incorporating games into the education system, we will expand our imagination and bring something new to the culture,” he said. 

The head of The Association of Entertainment Software Producers and Distributors (SPIDOR) said, “For the first time in history, a video game has been included on the recommended reading list for schools. We are pleased that the Ministry of Education and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki support and recognize the role of the video games sector in culture, creativity, innovation and even education.  This is a great example of how video games can support education by telling stories and raising important ethical issues.” 

“Of course, games are already being used in education for teaching maths, chemistry, and developing cognitive abilities, but I don’t think we’ve ever encountered a game being officially included in the educational system on a national level as a school reading,” said Grzegorz Miechowski, CEO of 11 bit studios.