Health literacy has been widely acknowledged to be the main outcome of the health education carried out in schools (e.g. Nutbeam 2000; St Leger 2001). Similarly, Nutbeam has proposed that there are various levels of health literacy, which can be put into a hierarchy moving from functional health literacy towards critical health literacy. It is argued that critical health literacy (e.g. critical evaluation of the health messages) is needed to become empowered to take care of one’s health and that of the others (e.g. St Leger 2001). The purpose of paper is to present the findings of the review that aims to examine the kinds of competencies the various papers focus on when pondering what critical health literacy is or should be among the pupils in schools. Critical analysis will be made if these competencies as educational outcomes are comprehensive enough from the point of view of supporting the development of the abilities to 21st century citizenship (Wagner 2008; see also Paakkari & Paakkari 2012). Suggestions are made for how to broaden the concept of critical health literacy to better fit the aim of the schools, i.e. to educate citizens in their own right and for the future.