Should chess be incorparated into schools?

@LUKEw123 said in #18:

Yes I do think they should have a club/extra curriculum yes it is sicenitfly proven to raise IQ
Just about anything that requires doing stuff raise IQ.

No. There is no need.
As an extra and optional activity, you can organize something at school with chess.

As long as incorporating it does not involve tax money, great. When I was in school, there was a chess club we were free to join. We played chess and the teachers who headed the club knew considerably less about chess than I did. From an educational standpoint, it had no purpose. For entertainment and fun, it was great. I think a lot of people here who advocate for this do not understand how few teachers actually know anything about chess. I'd say the number is near 0. For nearly all activities in schools, it's unusual to find a teacher who accepts a head-of-club position because they're actually interested in the activity. Most times, (coaches for sports, especially here in the US), they take the job because there's extra money in it for them, and they're paid the same whether the students learn anything or not. It's just reality, and for chess this is especially true in the US where chess is extremely rare. There are a few cities where there's a public chess club but they're 1000s of miles between. I live in the North east US and in spite of this being one of the most populous areas in the country, chess clubs don't exist here within 3 hours drive one way for me. That doesn't bode well for having schoolteachers with chess knowledge they could pass on. Furthermore, in my experience from many years ago, the levels of players vary so much that it's one of two things for the students. Either they win all the time and it's counterproductive because there's no competition, or they are there just to waste time so it's nothing but a social time.

Long story short, if the student wants to use chess for real development, it's really up to them to pursue that.

We have this fabulous initiative in the UK and a friend of mine is one of its tutors . . .

https://www.chessinschools.co.uk/

@stockwellpete said in #24:

We have this fabulous initiative in the UK and a friend of mine is one of its tutors . . .

www.chessinschools.co.uk/
How does that work, precisely? The idea sounds good, and if your friend is a tutor who actually plays chess, that's also good. But I read a few pages on the site and saw one disturbing statement that to be a tutor, you don't need to know about chess. It's ok if you just like working with kids. Ahhhh, sorry but I disagree. When I first learned to play, the person who taught me knew a fair amount about chess and made it interesting to learn. (that was not in school) For me that was a requirement even at that very young age. Had they known little or nothing about chess, I would have had no interest whatsoever. At least not in listening to them.

@V1g1yy said in #25:

How does that work, precisely? The idea sounds good, and if your friend is a tutor who actually plays chess, that's also good. But I read a few pages on the site and saw one disturbing statement that to be a tutor, you don't need to know about chess. It's ok if you just like working with kids. Ahhhh, sorry but I disagree. When I first learned to play, the person who taught me knew a fair amount about chess and made it interesting to learn. (that was not in school) For me that was a requirement even at that very young age. Had they known little or nothing about chess, I would have had no interest whatsoever. At least not in listening to them.

Yes, my friend does play chess and I think he may be around 1700 ELO. It sounds like they also want people just to supervise chess sessions. Not ideal, but better than nothing to get young people playing chess.

@stockwellpete said in #26:

Not ideal, but better than nothing to get young people playing chess.
That's probably true, and sounds a little like my high school situation. There, the Physics teacher (whom I got along with very well) was the admin of the chess club. While he 'could' play chess, he wasn't very good at it and I never lost to him. But he knew enough to help the majority of the members so it worked well. I just don't think it can be a case of the blind leading the blind. We have enough of that in the regular classes on this side of the pond.

Chess definitely makes you think better! But here's a question: the part of the brain that helps with planning and smart choices (the frontal lobe) doesn't fully mature until after high school. So, can younger kids really handle all the strategy in chess without some help? I think they need guidance from adults to get the most out of it.

The cool thing is, studies show that chess can actually help with math! It strengthens skills like planning ahead, thinking step-by-step, and recognizing patterns. These skills are all super useful for math. Chess could be a great tool in schools, especially for subjects like Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math (STEM). These STEM fields thrive on fresh ideas and strong problem-solving, which chess can help develop in students. Plus, using computer programs or websites could make learning and playing chess more accessible in the classroom.

Instead of just letting kids play on their own, it’d be way better to have teachers who understand how kids learn guide them. That way, chess becomes more than just a fun game—it turns into a powerful way to boost their brains.

I don't think kids should be forced to play it, or else the game will be associated with unpleasant memories that might remain for life. I do think chess should be available, though.

@Mennonite I do agree but as extra credit or something.