EAVI Third International Conference 2009Citizens participation to public life through the media

Spanish Senate House in Madrid, Spain26th November 2009

Sylvie UrbainConseil supérieur de l’Education aux médias

Structure of Media Education

inside French Community of Belgium

3 steps :

• 1993-1994 : Media Education Workshop

• 1995-2007 : Council of Media Education,

• 2008 : Superior Council of Media Education

Belgium, its Communities and Regions. (Federal State of Belgium, Flemish Community, German speaking Community, French Community, Flemish Region, Brussels and Wallonian Region).

Structure of Education in Belgian French Community

Created by : Minister of Education – Elio Di Rupo

Mission : issue of report covering « Media Education inside French Community of Belgium».

Composition :Representatives of Teaching Community

Representatives from Medias (audio-visual)

Associative world

Representatives from public institutions (Administration)

I. 1993 -1994 : Media Education Workshop

Création : based on workshop conclusions, created by Minister of Education and Audiovisual, M. Mahoux,

by order of government of CFWB, May 19, 1995.

1. The Council.Mission : Stimulate all actions, research and experiences in pedagogic fieldslikely to promote Media Education,

in relationship with the world of Education :

1) Issue advice and proposals in relationship with any question relative to Media Education.

• fixing priorities for Media Education,

• integration of Media Education into the permanent training programs of the teachers

• introduction of Media Education into the official acadamic programs.

2) evaluate the action plans of the Competence Centers of each educational network

3) ease cooperation between Competence Centers ( pedagogic aspect), the Media Distribution Centre and the Associations involved in Media Education

II. 1995 - 2007 : Council of Media Education (CEM)

Composition : ± 20 members

1 President appointed by Government ( from Media World)

1 Secretary appointed by Minister of Education ( from Education World)

Representatives from 3 education networks

University experts in pedagogy and communication

1 Representative from each Media ( TV, newspapers, journalists)

2 Representatives from Administration

Representatives from involved Ministeries

2. Resource Centers.Besides the Council of Media Education, the order etablishes the recognition of 3 resource Centers ( 1 for each eductional network)

Mission : develop and promote Media Education training programs for teachers of the primary and secondary schools ( realization and production of pedagogic tools, support to Media relative projects

in schools )

CONCLUSION :

1) since 1995, the French Community of Belgium has created a work space available to all the Education and Media actors – called the CEM – in order to generate concrete educationMedia

literacy initiatives in schools situated in Belgian French Community via Competence Centers

2) The new structure aims at:

• transform each citizen into an autonomous and responsible user and critical observer of Media Community

• allow each citizen to acquire the Media languages and communication tools used by the Media

Reminder :

Rapidly the CEM has been confronted to the rapid evolutive changes in the Media Space

where the CEM has to develop its actions

Main changes : • traditional Media ( written and audiovisual ) evoluting to Numeric Medias

• of public involved : from school population to more diversified publics requesting a permanent teaching dimension, especially towards socially and culturally disfavoured publics

• from critical user as consumer towards critical user as producer

• consumptions modes permanently renewed ( more and more integrated use of the Medias in everyday life).

Confronted to an explosion of different forms of Media usage, the Council of Media Education has requested an update of its missions from the political world

III. 2008 : Superior Council of Media Education (CSEM)

Creation : created by Minister-President of French Community of Belgium, Marie Arena, and Minister of

Cultural and Audiovisual Affairs, Fadila Laanan

The Government agreement of French Community ( Legislation 2004-2009) foresees in Article 10:

« reinforce and develop the CEM the Government will consolidate the actual structure of Media Education, concretly, the Government will offer the CEM and the 3 Competence Centers the necessary resources for its development in the actual Media environment »

On July 4, 2008, the Parliament of French Community of Belgium has adopted a new decree confirming the creation of the Superior Council of Media Education (CSEM) and assuring development and financing of Media initiatives inside of French Community of Belgium

This decree considerably enlarges the responsibilities of the actual structure of Media Education which relies on its central body which is the CSEM

Decree creating the Superior Council of Media Education (CSEM ) and assuring the development of initiatives and the

related resources inside of Fench Community of Belgium

The decree indicates 2 aspects :

I. Creation of the structure of the Media Education linked to CSEM

II. Development of initiatives of media Education

1. The Council 1. Education to information press

2. The Secretary of the Council 2. Education to the journalistic pratice

3. The Competence Centers 3. Education to Cinema

4. Support to school projects

I. The Superior Council of Media Education (CSEM)

3 entities

1) Missions : 1. Permanent observation platform of all initiatives in Media Education, inside and outside Belgium;

2. Promotion of organisms (all Medias, all publics, …)

3. Regulation body to grant coherence with the regulations of the French Community of Belgium

4. Advisory Board on all matters relative to Media Education (legal, political, pédagogic, …..)

5. Production of evaluation report, every 5 years, on all initiatives implemented by Competence Centers

1. Council 2. Secretary Office 3. Competence centers

Decisional center Organisational center of Council’s works Operational centers for execution tasks, especially in schools

2) Composition : 50 members

1 President

1 Vice-President

1 Secretary

The former President of CEM

Education World ( 12 members)

Experts (5 members)

Media World :

10 representatives :

• Journalist AJP (1)

• Written press JFB (3)

• Representatives Radio-TV (3, of which 1 public TV)

• Representatives Cinema (1)

• Representatives of new technologies(1)

• Representatives of Superior Council of Audiovisual matters (1)

2) Composition :

Administration (3 members)

1 Representative for each Resource Center (3)

Representatives of Associative World (parents, youth organisations, Cultural Centres, teachers Trade Unions : 8 members)

sectors already represented in CEM but with wider representative basis

and extension to all sectors of Civil Society

With the possibility to call on experts.

3) Implementation

A) Secretariat Office of CSEM

Permanent body, in charge of the organisation and implementation of decisions made by the CSEM.

1) Composition :

• 1 Secretary, 1 pedagogic team, 1 administrative team

2) Budget :

• 88.000 € ( excluding staff expenses )

1) Missions :

• Conceive, promote and monitor initiatives in Media Education inside CFWB, in particular in primary and secondary schools ( initial training, permanent training, collection of information,… )

2) Budget :

• 280.000 € ( running costs and salaries),

• 1/3 of the budget is proportional to school population of each educational network ( 3 )

B) Competence Centers of Media Education inside the French Community of Belgium

Task force implementing the decisions in local school environment

The 3 Competence Centers are set up by a 1995 order

Examples of initiatives promoted by CSEM Promoted Initiatives :

• In primary and secondary schools,

• By specialized actors from Media World

Mission of CSEM :

• Monitoring of the initiatives.

1) Education to the Daily Written Press : 515.000 €

through purchase and distribution of Belgian French speaking newspapers

Partner : JFB – Journaux francophones belges (Asbl)

2) Education to journalistic pratice : 99.000 €

through visit of journalists in schools

Partner : AJP – Association des journalistes francophones (Asbl)3) Education to Cinéma : 150.000 €

through subvention of low price entrance tickets for selected films.

Partner : Les Grignoux (Asbl)

4) Support of school projects in Media Education area : 20.000 €

through attribution of subsidies to local school projects

CONCLUSION

• Thanks to the decision included in the French Community of Belgium (CFB)Government declaration(term 2004-2009) the cen has further developped through

a decree

all necessary resources to its development

• This development mainly covers the Council and its Secretary Office for which the missions and the related resources are extended. This autonomy of resources allows a more efficient management of its actions and productions.

• The regrouping of CSEM activities with the initiatives of Media Education, til now included in different laws and edicts and other general programs, allows to better management in a more coherent way and in the long term political strategy of Media Education inside CFB

• The Government declaration of the new term (2009-2013) continues to strongly support Media Education.

• The evaluation mission of the CSEM is the most important one and today the CSEM is working on qualitative criteria which allow the CSEM to finalize this mission. We follow with a lot of interest the research carried out by the European Commission in this area in order to benefit from their expertise