Young People’s Media Literacy

Lord Aberdare Excerpts

Thursday 22nd May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for the work she is doing on the committee, and all the members who are engaged. There is also the issue of consistency between different schools and the way that they approach this. That is why the reviews that are undertaken are so important: to get some standards. At the moment, we see media literacy being taught through compulsory citizenship, RSHE, computing and English, but we know that every single subject area will have to be engaged in this important work. We are living through vastly changing times. All teachers need to be aware of the opportunities and challenges young people face and need to make sure that the teaching materials they have are appropriate.

[Lord Aberdare (CB)]

My Lords, like digital literacy, media literacy is a cross-cutting essential skill that is needed by all young people and relevant to all subjects. It is good to know that the curriculum and assessment review is taking account of this, but will that review look seriously at a better balance between skills-related subjects, such as digital and media literacy, and the academic subjects on which the current curriculum focuses, in order to achieve a system that is able to take account of assessing things that cannot be usefully assessed by current GCSEs?

[Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)]

I am grateful for that question. The scope of the review has been one of its real strengths and benefits, and we all look forward to its conclusions and recommendations. This is such a large question in terms of assessment and how skills are judged and taken forward for young people. We need to have a much more holistic approach, as the noble Lord suggests.