The MEA signs joint statement from 35 organisations urging government to fund media literacy in schools

Over 35 organisations and experts warn that media literacy reforms will fall short without proper funding for schools

The headlines about teaching 'fake news and AI' in England’s revised curriculum have generated a brief surge of optimism. Media literacy is finally being recognised as essential to children’s education, well-being and democratic participation, especially as discussions about lowering the voting age to 16 gather momentum. Yet a coalition of more than 35 media and information literacy experts is warning that these ambitions will not be realised unless schools and educators receive the funding needed to deliver this work.

As one of the signatories, we join organisations across media literacy, librarianship, citizenship education and democratic engagement in welcoming the updated curriculum. The coalition’s joint statement highlights the opportunity to embed critical engagement with media across subjects, but it is clear on one point: this will only be achievable if staff are properly supported and resourced.

Professor Julian McDougall, Chair of the Media and Information Literacy Alliance (MILA) and Bournemouth University, captures the weight of this collective intervention:

"The strength of this statement lies in the alignment of over 35 organisations, uniting a breadth of expertise that spans academia, librarianship, non-profit programmes, policy and subject specialism. This group stands ready to offer its collective knowledge to ensure these curriculum reforms are successful, but this depth of sector-wide experience can only be meaningful if the government provides the necessary resources and funding to support the educators on the frontline."

Matteo Bergamini MBE, CEO and Founder of Shout Out UK and Secretariat to the APPG on Political and Media Literacy, stresses the scale of the challenge:

"Only one per cent of teachers feel fully prepared to teach the citizenship and media literacy content recommended by the Curriculum and Assessment review. At a time of deepening national polarisation, there is a clear and urgent need to fund high-quality, impartial teacher training in Political and Media Literacy to ensure that the benefits of the new curriculum requirements are realised."

Polly Curtis, CEO at Demos, highlights why action is urgent:

"Teachers are on the frontline of supporting our children to navigate our increasingly complex media and information environment in polarised times. Whilst we welcome the inclusion of media literacy within citizenship on the curriculum, we cannot expect teachers to empower and equip children with these skills without funding to enable the specialist training this subject requires. Such funding is an investment in the resilience of the UK’s democracy to the increasing threats we see in online spaces."

What meaningful support must look like

The coalition sets out clear recommendations for government action if media literacy reform is to succeed:

● The government’s new Media Literacy Taskforce should establish dedicated funding routes for media literacy education, potentially drawing support from DSIT or DCMS

● Funding already allocated for democratic education via the Electoral Commission could be used to strengthen media literacy provision in schools

● The government should re-evaluate whether Ofcom’s remit ought to include delivery or commissioning of media literacy teacher training

To ensure curriculum changes lead to genuine gains for pupils, the coalition further recommends:

● Explicit inclusion of critical AI literacy within media literacy in Citizenship

● Collaboration with media literacy experts to create a framework defining what high-quality media literacy looks like across subjects including Citizenship and English. This should emphasise creating media, not simply identifying inaccurate information

● Development of a rich, varied repository of teaching resources drawing on sector expertise

● Investment in professionally staffed school libraries, aligning with the government’s commitment to provide a library in every primary school by 2029

To read the full statement, click here