16th December 2011 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A recent survey by FilmClub, a media education charity, has revealed that older and more traditional films are favourites in UK classrooms. The survey revealed that Bugsy Malone, the 1970s gangster film with child actors is the most popular film to be shown in schools. In primary schools, Disney’s Alice in Wonderland made in the 1950s was still the most popular choice today.
Amongst other popular choices were Kes, made in 1969 and the phenomenally popular musical Grease, 1978. So what are we to conclude from this survey? FilmClub have said that the films on their list provide useful talking points for school projects, with films such as Kes providing an opportunity to talk about class, education and social issues. But does this mean that today’s films lacking in educational value?
The majority of schools feel that sticking with the old favourites is the best way to engage children with the issues covered by the curriculum. Further, allowing students to watch the film of the books they are studying ensures that all students have the best opportunity of understanding the text on a basic level, and allows them to examine different interpretations of classic texts. Yet, it could be that we are seeing a return to films which schools will want to engage with. The Great Gatsby is a favourite choice by schools for the English syllabus, and the new film of the book, released next year, will doubtless become a favourite in schools.