Local MP Maria Miller signed a pledge in Parliament to support Media Smart, a media literacy programme designed to help young people, parents, guardians and teachers understand advertising and the commercial world.
Media Smart provides free educational resources for teachers to help young people think critically about the advertising they come across in their daily lives. Funded by the Advertising Association and UK Advertising, Media Smart’s materials have been produced with advice from academics and media literacy experts to ensure they are balanced and rigorous.
Maria said: “Young people grow up in a world of commercial messages and it is important that they understand what is being suggested, promised and sold to them. Research tells us that children’s critical awareness of advertising grows significantly between the ages of 8 and 12, making it incredibly important for children to be engaged effectively on these issues in school.
Media Smart has the potential to play a strong role in educating 7 to 16 year olds in Basingstoke, and I hope that all local schools consider introducing the programme to their students.”