Film Education | Staffroom | Film in the Classroom

Film and Citizenship:

Secondary:

Primary:

Still from the animated film ‘Persepolis’ shows pupils and their teacher at an Iranian girl’s school

Citizenship is a dynamic, engaging subject that if delivered vibrantly has the potential to empower young people to contribute positively to society. The content of the Citizenship curriculum, however, is broad and includes many abstract concepts that at first glance seem unfamiliar to young people. Film is a superb way of making such concepts come alive.

The combination of moving image and sound in a feature film is a familiar format for most students and one that can help to contextualise issues that may be difficult to study in isolation. Specifically, the Citizenship curriculum requires students to understand the role of the Media in society (KS3) and how information from the Media is used in public debate and policy formation (KS4). A central thrust of Citizenship education is for students to feel confident actively to contribute to society. An interactive approach to Film Studies not only enriches students' understanding of the range and content of the Citizenship curriculum, but also enables them to utilise digital media technologies to add their voice to influence the debates.