In a world where we are exposed to media content of one kind or another all around,
understanding their origin, the processes behind it, critical evaluation of individual texts and
active participation in the media world are necessary. It is crucial that the younger generations
become familiar with important concepts that bring an in-depth view of the media world and
enable them to navigate through the flood of messages already at the level of systematic
introduction of media education. The aim of the master's thesis is to discover what the goals,
contents and competences of media education are in schools that do not offer the basic subject
Media Education, through which children can gain knowledge related to the media and its
processes. Analyses of curriculums, conducting interviews with the management of ten
primary schools and observing students in Computer Science, a subject which is often used by
executives as a synonym for media education, gave me an insight into the trends of media
education in theory and practice. It turned out that the management all too often shift the
responsibility for media education to the family environment, students and teachers, while not
paying special attention to the additional training of teaching staff. In addition, the emphasis
on digital competences casts a shadow on media education, which students can acquire
optionally, as participation in electives or extracurricular activities such as writing a school
newspaper is left to them. The fact that no formal educational policy on media education has
been defined in Slovenia pushes media education to the periphery and leaves it to the
engagement of individuals.
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