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This recent column in The Guardian by Cary Bazalgette, former head of education at the British Film Institute, points out the need to establish media literacy in our schools, and, just as importantly, to put in place the tools for educators and students to develop abilities as media creators.  The quotes in the article are from Don Boyd, a British producer (including Derek Jarman’s War Requiem, featured in Moving Images Chapter 5) and director (mostly documentaries and made-for-TV projects), who has also been part of a panel that has reviewed curricular approaches to media teaching in Britain.

British Film Institute: see Moving Images Chapter 5, Personal Expression and Studio Production, p. 172

According to Boyd,  “the study of film is as important as literature and science,” and he calls for “a system to empower schools to teach film” as “one vital responsibility.”  The article also tells us that “Boyd cites ‘the intellectual heritage’ of film, saying ‘kids can benefit from its history in the way they might study the Renaissance in art.'”  Author Cary Bazalgette adds, “He’s right: but most teachers don’t know how to teach film in its own right.”

Well, let’s get these people copies of Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding Media!