question of the day: Should film be taught in school the way that literature is?

With the exception of a small number of box office hits - The King’s Speech, The Inbetweeners and the Harry Potter franchise - British films “are being seen by too small a percentage of the UK public”.

Lord Smith’s recommendations include the launch of a British film ‘brand’ to promote homegrown output and a nationwide programme of film clubs and screenings in rural areas to ensure that those outside the big cities are able to see a wide range of films.

...but the question deserves to be asked in a more general way.

Should film be taught in school the way that literature is?

I think it’s very urgent that children, even very young children, be taught media literacy -- so that, for instance, they can determine the difference between advertising and narrative -- but I have to confess that it never occurred to me that we might teach children how to watch and interpret great movies in the same way that we teach them how to read and interpret great fiction.

What do you think?

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