Media: must do better

The advent of film on the Leaving Certificate English syllabus has been welcomed by movie-lovers and educators alike. The fact that it has arrived not as a stand-alone subject but as an optional extra in a comparative question with literary texts has lessened their enthusiasm. However, its presence, whatever the context, is an admission that film, be it arthouse or popular, European or Hollywood, is a worthy object of study, on a par - for some - with canonical literary texts. It is also an admission of the importance of visual literacy and of engaging with popular cultural forms. Studied texts, one concludes, should reflect to some degree students' cultural experience and enable them to interrogate and interact creatively with "their world".

If film has won the battle to be seen as a worthy object of study, our satisfaction should not eclipse the real need for a broad media education programme at second level. If, as most of us believe, education is about empowering students, then serious study of the media in its many manifestations is not simply important, it is vital. One could even argue that media education is more urgent than the study of film, because of its implications for democracy. Media education embraces many strands of learning. Media theory, with its emphasis on evaluating media "texts" (a TV soap, an advertisement, a pop video, a newspaper) and their producers, also encompasses media effects and audiences. Applied media involves interacting with media forms and technologies - making media products. An understanding of media as an industry would be an essential component of any media studies programme. Thus, the breadth and complexity of the subject is obvious.

However, the provision of media education at secondary level is paltry. Only available at Junior Certificate level, it sits on the English examination paper at higher level beside functional writing exercises. Common exercises involve comparing tabloid and broadsheet articles or analysing advertisements from the print media.

What is striking about this is that the examination paper is possibly the only place many teenagers encounter these print-media forms! It is regrettable that TV advertisements which are generally enjoyed by this group do not feature.

As the subject disappears from the English syllabus in the mainstream senior cycle, there is no further opportunity to build on skills developed at junior cycle or to deal with issues at a more complex and adult level.

At Transition Year (commonly one class of 25 students in a given year), there are opportunities to study media, though this is dependent on the interest and expertise of the individual teacher. Most have received no formal training in media from the Department of Education and Science, even though the Department has been supportive of initiatives by subject associations initiatives.

The situation has improved hugely at primary level. Although media education does not have its own subject status, it forms a significant "strand unit" as part of "Social, Personal and Health Education". "Media Education" and "Developing Citizenship" are the two units under the rubric "Myself and the Wider World". Media education is therefore linked with the child's understanding of his or her own situation in relation to local, national and international communities. This strand unit also explores the concepts of citizenship, democracy, cultural difference and peace and justice. So the important link between democracy and media education is acknowledged.

The increasing popularity of media courses at third level has been evident for some time, with institutions such as DCU and the institutes of technology to the forefront in developing courses with a strong vocational emphasis. Many excellent Post Leaving Certificate courses have also evolved over time.

However, the supply of vocational courses does nothing to improve the general media literacy of the population. Unless the subject enjoys core subject status on the curriculum it will have little impact on the student body - and therefore society - as a whole.