Film matters

ONLY TIME will tell if film studies will succeed in senior cycle, according to Mary Gillan, chairwoman of the Teachers Association for Media Education (TAME). "For the moment (film) exists only as an optional extra," Gillan told 60 delegates at a recent North/South inservice course for media educators. "It remains to be seen whether teachers will rise to the challenge of teaching this and whether the inservice for the new syllabus will give it the attention it merits." Teachers welcomed the introduction of film to the revised Leaving Cert English syllabus, she said, but "few felt adequately prepared to teach it". Some teachers objected to the fact that film was "merely tagged on" rather than being an integral part of the new course. There is an "urgent need for teacher training in film", she said.

Harry Browne, editor of the Media Scope The Irish Times, told the conference that "some educators worry that films will be considered simply in traditional `textual' terms of narrative and character" rather than taught as expressions of a visual language.

The joint-venture course was held for members of TAME as well as members of the Northern Ireland Media Education Association.