A Hit with High School Students

Flames Of War a Hit with High School Students It’s impossible to deny that kids like to play games. Indeed, one challenge faced by today’s teachers is trying to design lessons that compare to the flashy marketing and bright lights of computer and consol games. At Hutt International Boys’ School (Hibs) in Upper Hutt, New Zealand, this problem is being tackled by introducing students to Flames Of War as a way of stimulating an interest in History and moving attention away from a sedentary life-style.

Over the past year, after a simple demonstration of Flames Of War by the Teacher in Charge (TIC) of History, interest in the game has grown to the point where regular meetings of the Hibs Historical Games Club can no longer involve all club members. There is not enough terrain or space to cater for all interested students so attendance is about to become rotational. Initially, most of the fifteen regular members took time to build up small companies to bring to game days, which are held after school every three weeks. The first few games used two of my forces to give the students some idea of the game mechanics.

Within four months, the first three students had reached 1500 points (painted) and were playing regular games. One played with a Russian Strelkovy, the other with an Italian Infantry Company. Currently there are seven students with over 1500 points each; the remainder are at 600 points. There is a broad range of companies being represented. Terrain is one of the biggest handicaps for the group as my personal supply does not go very far. The boys’ are using supplies from the Art and Science Departments to make passable tables. The fact that their imaginations are still rampant helps to fill the void.

Time is also a constraint as there are only two hours between the end of school and the time that most parents like to have the children sitting at the dinner table. In the future the club would like to host an Under-18 tournament in conjunction with a regular tournament, pending enough interest from other young people. Adult guidance is vital for these young people to get the most out of the game. They need help to understand the rules, to be told how to build a company and paint their Battlefront miniatures.

The reward as a teacher is worth the effort, as the number of students choosing to study History has increased over the past year, and will continue to increase as time goes on. As a Flames Of War player, it is nice to imagine that I am doing my part to grow the hobby and introduce a new generation to the pleasures of Wargaming. Bede Bailey