Philippine Middle Schools Are Teaching VALORANT Now

Your ranked teammates might not be receiving the teamwork and communication education they need, but middle schoolers in the Philippines are. Netizens have noticed that middle schools in the region are including VALORANT in their core curriculum, and the discovery is going viral. Let’s explore why Philippine middle schools are teaching VALORANT theory, and what it means for the esports industry.

Netizens Discover Middle Schools Are Using VALORANT

In the late evening on July 2, 2026, rumors began to swirl online that netizens had discovered something very unusual. Apparently, some middle schools in the Philippines are using famed FPS title VALORANT as part of their core curriculum.

The news broke from X.com user @JustinBanusing, who wrote, “so apparently VALORANT is part of philippine middle school curriculum now.

Indeed, the workbook comes from Matatag Curriculum. It’s up-to-date as of 2026, and the specific workbook with the VALORANT content is meant for Grades 4-10. Specifically, it’s in the PE and Health category.

This is not just a small subset of private schools. The content legitimately stems from the Philippine government, which calls MATATAG “the latest educational framework that will be followed in all the educational institutions of Philippines […] The Department of Education in the Philippines (DEPED) launches MATATAG curriculum to make sure that their education system is producing well-rounded people who can face all the challenges of work and life.”

In the section Banusing posted, the workbook asks students to:

• “Identify the game objectives and mechanics of VALORANT
• demonstrate respect and fairness during online matches and tournaments
• practice teamwork, time management, and communication in facilitating esports events, and
• manage an esports event applying its core principles.”

In addition, the workbook gives students an exercise where they match Agent types to their functions. For example, the Duelist “enters sites and starts fights” while the Sentinel “defends and protects the team.”

Banusing’s post went completely viral, receiving nearly a million views and over 18,000 likes in less than 12 hours.

Interestingly, other Filipino netizens noted that their PE curriculum also includes other esports titles, like MOBA Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. One wrote, “Mobile Legends is literally part of our PE & Health’s activity, something about being literate e-health users (and sports i guess) . Ts got me itching to play more for days now.”

Why Are Philippine Middle Schools Using VALORANT in Curriculum?

The PE workbooks are reportedly using VALORANT to help promote teamwork and communication among students in the Philippines. As a team-based game, VALORANT teaches its players a lot. To climb the ranks, you need to perform well under pressure, maintain a calm mental state, and take care of your health. In addition, team members gain a greater appreciation for every member’s unique individual skills.

Plus, there’s actually a lot of thought that goes into winning every VALORANT round. The actual aim-based headshot is just a small percentage of the victory. Behind it, teams have to be conscious of map control, positioning, probability, and the game’s overall theory.

What Does This Mean for Esports?

The esports industry has proved itself financially already, growing in presence. Events like League of Legends‘ Worlds and Counter-Strike’s Majors earn millions of concurrent views. VALORANT Champions is the biggest tournament of the year, but other events, like Masters, still hold their own and rake in huge amounts of cash. Larger entities are taking note and investing in it: the Esports World Cup, which receives indirect funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), has a massive 1.25 million USD prize pool for VALORANT alone.

VALORANT’s appearance in workbooks from the Philippines signals a new step in esports’ transition into mainstream culture. The move shows classic games standing side-by-side with traditional, physical athletics. The public is recognizing the strategy, practice, and cooperation that goes into competitive titles, in addition to the benefits esports can bring to young players.