Chess in School Curriculum

Is it alright if chess is taught in school?  Can it help the students somehow? or Are there disadvantages if it is inculded in the school curriculum?  What do you think?

It should be an extracurricular activity, like music or sports. But it should not be in the curriculum.

I think chess shouldn't be in school curriculum. I am not exactly sure chess will sharpen thinking skill, but I found that chess is mental torture if a player plays a lot of games. For me, I felt that if I play about 8 hours a day, I was headache the next day. Some of my friends flunk the course due to play chess. Children will not guarantee improve their engineering skill and programming skill by practicing playing chess, but they will do if they practice programming and math. For those reason, chess shouldn't be in school curriculum.

Not only should chess be taught, but Philosophy should be taught. In the country I live in, all these young, wonderful minds are a G.D. mess. Anything, ANYTHING, that will allow those minds to develope analytical skills, and reflection is a great thing.

I took 'Chess' my freshman year in high school, and received credit for it. It's actually where I learned to play the game.

I see nothing wrong with a chess class being a credited course as long as there are standards that a student is tested on, i.e., proper setup, piece movement, notation, castling, and so on. I don't know how chess skills carry over into adult life, but there were alot of things I learned in school that I've never used. I'm still using my chess knowledge today, though!

it is something new that stands a chance to be widely accepted. every class should be an extra-curricular activity if you asked me.

 clearly you don't work in education...... still an interesting idea.

Funny, I just wrote an essay on this in school. The studies prove that statistically Chess can only help test scores in some way or form. Multiple tests and studies have proven that, chess can be just as effective in developing basic work-place skills (such as problem solving, decision making, factoring risks, etc.) compared to any 'normal' math course. Here's the big top of the line summary on all the studies run to see if chess would help improve scores.

Chess in Education Research Summary by Dr. Robert Ferguson Jr.

Now, something that is proven to help should be included, should it not? Yet my English teacher brings up a fine point stating that it is likely not to be included in curicullum because the majority of teachers (at least in my school and around in the general area) are afraid of change in the teaching style. Chess would create this change, thus it is unlikely chess will be included anytime soon.

Also, is learning chess really useful in the real world? With the exception of becoming a proffessional chess player, chess really can't be used anywhere else. Learning trig or some other course can be used in the real world depending on job choice.

Thanks Fishes, I am aware of this research.

I would disagree that teacher's are afraid of change (of course some are - as are some bus drivers, police officers, dentists etc). The key thing about teaching is that teachers are helping to prepare students for jobs that frequently do not exist yet! What will the world be like in 15 years time? So of course teaching is constantly evolving.

Teachers in any evolved education system (UK,US,Finland etc) realise this. Shame the governments don't. Having said that the US system in most states is way too textbook heavy and US schools are still 'grade factories'.

Chess is great and should be offered at schools but not as part of the subject curriculum.

My qualifications: BSc (Hons) Chemistry, PGCE (UK trained Science teacher), 10 years teaching experience, Masters in Educational Leadership.

+1.

 +2

Chess could be in school, but noit as part of the main curriculum.

 Don't you think it's kind of silly to ask if learning chess is really useful in the real world, when you yourself stated that it helps improve performance in other areas? Also these pin headed "teachers" who are afraid of any change in teaching style should get their lazy asses out of the teaching profession, and get some factory job where they can just hammer widgets all day without having to use any intelligence.

Fishes and woodshover, don't you think some teachers will be outsmarted by their students?

 Doesn't look like they will ever have that chance. But I don't see why a school wouldn't be able to hire somebody who knows enough about chess to be able to teach it to most students.

All the parents, and "teachers" are satisfied with the statuesque, so the educational system will continue to be the same failure it's always been. 

I think chess, cooking and rugby should all be part of the school curricula, cos they would all help prepare kids for the big wide world of adulthood

 Cooking was part of the curricula for both boys, and girls when I was in school.  Concussions from rugby however have been shown to cause early dementia.

 Cooking was required or elective ? 

you can pick up concussions from all kindsa things - I has bin run over three times for example and been 'concussed' by a policeman once and by my own recklessness more than once - never concussed playin' rugby though (that I remember) - now I is almost 50 an' showing no signs of dementia whatsoever - all faculties still intact though I aches a lot in the mornings - think arthritis gonna be a bigger threat than dementia - have broken a lotta bones along the way