Brussels, 2 October 2017
European Parliament calls for age-appropriate media pedagogy
ECSWE has successfully lobbied for amendments calling for an age- and development appropriate media-pedagogy.
On 14 September 2017, the European Parliament adopted the report on the New Skills Agenda with a large majority of the votes cast. ECSWE and other partners have successfully lobbied for amendments calling for and age- and development appropriate media-pedagogy. This is an important step for the European Waldorf movement, as this report will allow us to initiate a debate on how to teach digital skills in an age- and development-appropriate way. A first step will be taken during the upcoming ELIANT conference “Towards a healthy digital ecosystem: Values, Competences & Responsibilities” on 28 November 2017 in Brussels.
Negotiations on this report had raised concerns among our members that national governments and schools would be pushed once more to introduce digital technology in classrooms from an early age. The first draft insisted “on the need to incorporate new technologies in the teaching and learning process” while not mentioning the need for an age-appropriate approach that respects healthy child development and wellbeing. ECSWE, therefore decided to take action.
Together with our partners in the Lifelong Learning Platform, we contacted the rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs on both Committees and suggested a changed wording calling for “age-appropriate ICT and media curricula that respect child development and well-being and emphasise the importance of both responsible use and critical thinking.” Furthermore, we stressed that the initially proposed “pedagogical leadership from teachers at all levels of education” should be “based on a clear vision for an age- and development-appropriate media pedagogy.”
Today, we are delighted to report that paragraphs 91 and 94 of the final plenary report include the substance of what ECSWE and partners have lobbied for. Based on that, we would now like to initiate a public debate with policy makers, teachers, school-heads, and academics on what constitutes an age-appropriate media pedagogy.
To this end, we would like invite all interested stakeholders — policy makers, teachers, parents, students and academics — to attend the upcoming ELIANT conference “Towards a healthy digital ecosystem: Values, Competences & Responsibilities” on 28 November 2017 in Brussels, where several workshops will be dedicated to this theme.
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