This could mark a break with the philosophy underlying the previous review of the curriculum in 2013 piloted by the then Secretary of State, Michael Gove. Many experts have criticised this, notably for a perceived narrow approach to learning with a focus on memorisation and cramming for GCSEs and A Levels, and for fostering an “assessment mono- culture of terminal exams.” 3 It is encouraging that the review was launched just a couple weeks into the life of the new Government, signalling a sense of urgency in addressing the complexity of the issue4
. The aims of
the review include the development of “a curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.” Professor Becky Francis CBE has been appointed as chair of the review; she is a respected educationalist, currently CEO of the Education Endowment Foun- dation and previously the Director of UCL’s Institute of Education. She will be supported by an expert review group; at time of writing, its members have not yet been appointed, but clearly its compo- sition will be crucial. The review will
commence with a call for evidence, likely to be issued soon, and will look to publish an interim report early in 2025 setting out interim findings and confirming key areas for further work. A final report and recom- mendations are expected in Autumn 2025. The review will provide a rare opportu- nity for getting MIL properly recognised as an integral and important part of the school curriculum. At present, MIL is not well catered in state schools in England. Many of them do not offer any MIL work with young people; this may feature in sub- jects such as media studies and citizenship, but it is addressed in a fragmented way which does not give it due prominence in young people’s education. Although MIL is not mentioned explicitly either in the review’s terms of reference or in Labour’s mission statement, Phillipson’s remarks about embedding critical thinking and ana- lytical abilities in core subjects may suggest a ‘mainstreaming’ of concepts closely aligned with MIL.
How might we capitalise on this changing situation? The Media and Information Lit- eracy Alliance (MILA) is poised to advocate for MIL; in June, a few weeks before the general election, MILA produced a briefing note5
for politicians and policymakers on
why MIL education is important for young people. At the time, we did not know that the review of the curriculum would get off
the ground so soon, but the issues raised in the note remain very pertinent and they can serve as a basis for interactions with key players over the coming weeks and months.
Advocacy is best achieved if it is carried out jointly with other interested parties and MILA has already been in touch with organisations such as the Association for Citizenship Teaching, the Media Education Association, Parent Zone, Internet Matters and, of course, CILIP. Within the infor- mation professional community, CILIP’s Information Literacy Group and the School Libraries Group have an obvious interest, as does the School Libraries Association. The terms of reference of the review do not touch on school libraries, but there could be opportunities for these too to make a valuable contribution to the new curricu- lum, as outlined In a recent blog post by Sarah Pavey for the Information Literacy Group.6
It remains to be seen whether the govern- ment will foster corresponding initiatives to address the MIL of adults, beyond the school system. As things stand, a notable current development of relevance to people of all ages is the elaboration of a media literacy strategy by Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator. Under the terms of the Online Safety Act 20237
and in addition to its increased regulatory powers towards social
September 2024
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