Hard Times ���Media Education and the New

Nineteenth Century Curriculum

MEA Annual Conference 2012

The three Mr. Gs

The return of ‘tradition’

‘a traditional education, sitting in rows, learning the kings and queens of England, the great works of literature, proper mental arithmetic, algebra by the age of eleven, modern foreign languages – that’s the best training of the mind, and that’s how children will be able to compete’ (2011 Curriculum Review)

The fetish of Facts

‘Exams matter because motivation matters… Memorisation is a necessary precondition of understanding. Only when facts and concepts are committed securely to the working memory… do we really have a secure hold on knowledge. Facts alone are what is wanted in life. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon facts.’ (2012/1854)

The discourse of derision

Tories to tackle Media Studies menace The Independent

Gove: “The increase [in students taking Media Studies] has been almost entirely in state schools. At the same time as independent schools are shunning subjects like Media Studies their students are pursuing the hard academic subjects universities and employers value.”

The new illiteracy

From the literacy strategy to Jolly Phonics Inc.

The end of media literacy

I believe that in the modern world media literacy will become as important a skill as maths or science. Decoding our media will be as important to our lives as citizens as understanding great literature is to our cultural lives. Tessa Jowell, 2004

[Media literacy] is a technocratic and specialist term, understood by policy makers but not really part of everyday language. Digital Britain 2009

Now it’s about internet safety and getting grannies online. Robin Blake, former head of Media Literacy at Ofcom, 2010

That’s all, folks?

Literacy without media The NC for English The EBacc

A-level Media in decline? HE Media in decline?

The bigger picture

Continuing Thatcher’s work Government versus teachers? Deprofessionalisation – the end of teacher

training Or the rise of the market… And the return of selection?

Market logic

‘Commercialisation of childhood’ Welfare, health, leisure, public

space, broadcasting…. and education

The issue is not ‘materialism’ but inequality: markets exacerbate inequalities

Commercialisation

Sponsorship, teaching materials, advertising, market research, vouchers, electronic marketing, awards…

Privatisation, marketisation

Outsourcing education services School management, training,

examinations, consultancy…

‘Free market’ competition between schools – PR

Segregation and polarisation The new managerialism,

corporate entrepreneurs

Unequal opportunities

Choice? Selection Segregation

Sure Start EMA Inequality

Public understanding

The Manufactured Crisis

Celebritisation Apostasy of the ‘lefties’

Anedcote not evidence The problem is discipline Media and public knowledge

Reasons to be cheerful? Market chaos and DFE cutbacks! New spaces opening up? Reduced prescription

Ofsted – Improving English The Cultural Alliance Film education…

The long view

Forward to the past? The success and failure of

Media Studies

Can education continue to ignore modern culture?

Celebrating practice

Celebrating practice

Mapping media learning

CONCEPTS Language

Representation Institutions Audiences

PRACTICES READING – WRITING Constructing meaning Selecting – Combining TEXT IN CONTEXT Intertexts Paratexts

Contexts

PROCESSES Collaboration

Creativity Argument/debate

Finding out Reflection/evaluation

Confidence

On the offensive

Arguing our corner Reasserting the comprehensive ideal

Critiquing marketisation Challenging technology Engaging the debate