Around 180 students taking part in creative Minecraft experiment.

The Viktor Rydberg school in Stockholm has introduced compulsory Minecraft lessons for its 13-year-old pupils in an effort to teach them about planning for the future and environmental issues. Around 180 students are expected to take part in this experiment, where teacher Monica Ekman explains they will learn ’about city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future.” ’We think it’s a fun way of learning and it’s nice for the students to achieve something,’ added Ekman in an interview with The Local.

The school’s decision to introduce the Minecraft lessons came about from Sweden’s “Future City” competition, which challenged educational establishment to put forward ideas for innovation in teaching. Ekman admitted that some parents found the idea a little uncomfortable, but defended the lessons by saying Minecraft is “a fun way of learning and it’s nice for the students to achieve something.’

This isn’t the first time Minecraft has been used in youth programs: last year developer Mojang partnered with the United Nations to create its Block by Block program designed to refresh urban spaces.

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