The Importance of Equity
We explain the difference between equity and equality and how to achieve equity in education especially in esports and gaming.
Welcome to Bunt and Bold volume 6. Whenever I speak to friends or colleagues in the industry, we all agree on one key thing: Every business stands and falls with its employees. We also agree that we need to train the next generation and help to educate the people we want to hire later on. While the esports industry appears to be very tech-driven, there are a lot of roles that require subject-specific expertise and a passion for gaming and esports. You do not necessarily need an esports-accountant. You need an accountant that understands how money comes in, how it moves, and where it goes. You don’t need an esports-marketing expert, but a marketing expert that understands how to reach the esports audience and how to speak to them. The underlying mechanics of the job don’t often change. Therefore, when I say education is king, it is not about esports-specific education, but about (access to) education in general.
– Christopher Hana
Word of the Week
Education “is a gradual process which brings positive changes in human life and behavior. We can also define education as ‘a process of acquiring knowledge through study or imparting the knowledge by way of instructions or some other practical procedure’.” Source: Passion In Education.
The Difference Between Equality and Equity
Before we go into more detail about education, we want to define equality and equity based on the definition by Marin Health and Human Services:
Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities.
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
The key take-away here is that it is not always enough to treat everyone the same. While it might sometimes be perceived as unfair, it is necessary to understand one's individual background and circumstances to provide different resources in order to achieve the same outcome. According to the National Equity Project “educational equity means that each child receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential.” There are plenty of Internet memes and derivatives that visualize this.
Source: SEANAT 2
Why Equity in Education is Important
In a perfect world, every child or grown-up should have a realistic chance to overcome societal disadvantages and get access to education and find success in learning and development.
Access to education depends on several factors, such as the education system in the country a person lives in. While some countries offer free education for everyone, others require a certain level of financial backing to move through the education system. Even if education was free everywhere in the world, there are other factors and obstacles that impact a person's access to education. One of them is home.
Did you know that a study for the German market conducted by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V. in cooperation with McKinsey & Company from 2021 showed that children whose parents graduated university are more likely to pursue a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree themselves?
Four Main Obstacles to Overcome for Children of Non-Academical Parents:
Mental Barriers: The lack or absence of role models can have a negative impact on a person’s perceived capabilities and lead to fear of not overcoming required challenges.
Disadvantages in Competences: Children of non-academical parents often grow up in an environment which is often less stimulating to learning (e.g. less visits of museums, fewer books) and often experience less support with learning by their parents.
Informational Deficits: Less experience with universities in general in one’s immediate social environment can lead to a lower interest level or a mental overload when confronted with universities.
Finances: Children of non-academical parents often receive less financial support by their parents. This can be based on lower income levels or a lower willingness to finance higher education. Financial support, like student loans, are often not high enough and hard to request. Side jobs put a limit on time that a student can spend on studying. (Source: Stifterverband)
What to do: How to ‘Equity in Education’?
Now that we have broached why equity in education is important and what the benefits can be, we also wanted to provide some concrete examples for how every individual can contribute to the solution. To be fair, it is a structural problem that can’t be fixed tomorrow. Since video games are dear to our heart, we wanted to highlight two things:
What everyone can keep in mind and do.
Highlight specific projects from the gaming and tech-related world that encourage educational equity.
The most basic thing everyone can do is create awareness and be aware of the structural challenges. Day-to-day activities to support equity in education can range from donating money to donating time and being a resource/tool for other people. Spreading the word and supporting people in one’s direct environment in line with the motto ‘be the change you want to see’ can be a good start.
Concrete Projects Encouraging Equity in Education (Gaming/Tech-related)
How to Get an Esports Scholarship - at a college in the U.S.
National Association of Collegiate Esports - “NACE is the largest member association of college and university sponsored esports programs that promotes the education and development of students through intercollegiate esports.”
Girls Make Games - “is a series of summer camps, workshops and game jams designed to inspire the next generation of designers, creators, and engineers.”
GirlsinICT - “For girls and young women to thrive in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers, they need safe and reliable access to the internet and digital tools.”
Girls'Day international - Career orientation free of gender stereotypes
GirlsInSTEM - “The aim of this project, funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ programme, is to empower girls to pursue their interests in Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths subjects (STEM), providing them with positive examples, support and possibilities to experience STEM occupations. Through this initiative, girls will be able to realise that they can embark on a fulfilling and successful career in STEM.”
STEM Like a Girl - “Our mission is to excite and empower girls with knowledge and confidence in STEM to become future problem solvers and leaders.”