Newspapers in Education (NiE) is an important, worldwide industry initiative that you’re going to be hearing more about in 2012. As the name suggests, it works to create educational tools designed to enhance students’ literacy and communications skills, while getting them – and keeping them! – interested in reading newspapers.

Newspapers are used in the classroom to provide lessons in basic reading, politics, science, social studies, geography and critical thinking. NIE can be carried out at all levels of education and the lessons are designed to tie in with the national school curriculum.

Students learn how to access, analyse, and evaluate newspaper content, as well as how to have an effect on and even create that content themselves. Reflecting on and discussing both newspaper content and the information process leads to a better understanding of and a stronger involvement in society. So, while improving media literacy, NIE also serves as a means to improve citizenship, as recent research has shown in several countries.

When did NiE start?

The concept of using newspapers in schools has been around for centuries, but The New York Times set up the first formal NIE programme in the 1930s. Since then, newspapers all over the world – including many Irish publishers – have started similar programmes. Today, there are more than 730 NIE programmes internationally, both print and e-editions.

So What is NNI Doing About NiE?

NiE is part of our long-term strategy; it’s compatible with all levels of education and it’s something we feel can help with the Government’s stated aim of “radically improving the literacy and numeracy standards achieved by our young people”.

Enda Buckley (NiE director), along with members of the NNI Young Reader committee, have met with a delegation from the Department of Education, including the Principal Officer responsible for curriculum and literacy, to discuss the implementation of a national NiE programme for school goers throughout Ireland.

Press Pass

The second week of May 2012 has been ear-marked as ‘Press Pass’ reading week.

A newsletter, outlining a week’s worth of activities, will be delivered to all Transition Year teachers (570 in total) throughout the country. Schools will be invited to register and will then be entitled to collect free copies of each NNI title from local newsagents.

One of the most exciting elements of Press Pass is a national writing competition. Students will be asked to compile an essay/article and the best articles will appear in the pages of all daily NNI titles.

The Department of Education has backed our ‘Press Pass’ proposal, and we’re in the process of fine-tuning the initiative with the assistance of the National Transition Year (TY) coordinator, TY teachers and students.

With the successful implementation of ‘Press Pass’ it is envisaged that initiatives of longer duration will be introduced for the school year of 2012/2013.

We’ll keep you posted!