Media education in Switzerland

Abstract

It is difficult to set educational standards in Switzerland: given the complexity of the political structure and the different languages spoken, 26 educational systems are in function. Most pupils are familiar with the practical use of ICT. But few of them are taught to analyse the media themselves. Media education is integrated to other branches of learning. Thus, it depends most of the time on the good will of the teachers! In the past five years, high speed connections to the Internet have strongly increased in schools, thanks to a public-private partnership launched by the State. The program also improved ICT skills among teachers. Many locally based projects encourage pupils and students to use ICT to learn. Multimedia products crafted in schools are even broadcasted on TV websites. However, media education remains uneven among teachers. The use of audiovisual resources in the classroom is decreasing. Most teachers express reluctance towards the media. When it comes to life long learning, software proficiency is more sought after than media knowledge..