This paper discusses the value and role of mass media education, defined as teaching about or by means of: (1) the press in all its forms, including daily papers, magazines, reviews, and strip cartoons for the young; (2) radio and television; (3) tape recordings; and (4) photographs (prints and slides), films, and records. It is noted that mass media education is necessary because mass communication methods are an essential feature of the child's world. The role of mass media in society and in school is outlined, with information on the place of mass media in the curriculum; teacher training problems; the role of teachers, parents, persons from outside the school, and the pupils themselves in teaching with or about mass media; the grade levels at which mass media education should be offered; and methods of providing and evaluating mass media education. Examples from France, Switzerland, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and other European countries are provided. Finally, there is a discussion of the development of critical attitudes among the young as a preparation for life, including the need for and the effect of teaching children to critically evaluate information provided by the mass media. Also presented are a 131-item bibliography and a paper describing one teacher's experience of television's impact on school age children. (ESR)