German media educators rate school media literacy as ‘very bad’

A survey conducted by the Gesellschaft für Medienpädagogik und Kommunikationskultur (GMK) in cooperation with the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk reveals that approximately 90 percent of media educators rate media literacy education in German schools as ‘very bad’.

Respondents indicated that the primary issue is not a lack of technical equipment, but rather a deficiency in mandatory structures. Key criticisms include insufficient media pedagogical qualifications and training for teachers, a lack of media literacy integration within official curricula, and a shortage of qualified personnel. Currently, the success of media education often depends on the individual commitment of specific teachers or school administrations rather than standardized institutional frameworks.

Kai Hanke, Managing Director of the Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk, has called on federal and state governments to move beyond political declarations of intent and instead establish the necessary practical conditions. This includes ensuring that every school has at least one media-pedagogically qualified contact person to assist students with media-related concerns.