Selling Education Short
Displaying adverts targeted at young children in school is sickening.
Children are almost constantly bombarded with TV commercials, slogans and Internet 'pop ups', but until now I felt safe in the knowledge that this stopped at the school gates.
Not so. Posters are supplied to schools by a company called School Panels. Usually they supply pictures promoting healthy eating, exercise, books and the odd age appropriate film - all fine so far, but now it appears that blatant, commercial adverts are being allowed to filter in.
Isn't this paving the way for mainstream advertising within schools?
I can see how adverts aimed at children on the TV could be considered a necessary evil, as they fund the making of some programmes.
Even if these adverts are a source of revenue for our schools, we need to think about what they would cost in the long term.
The McDonalds 'Golden Arches' and the Coca Cola logo are among the worlds most recognisable images. Allowing these kinds of adverts in schools will speed up the commercialisation of childhood.
Could it compromise their education by detracting from the atmosphere - making them think of what to spend money on rather then looking at other school displays?
Are our schools selling out, and selling our children's education short in the process?
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Laura Yates - Brummie mum Laura Yates is a 27 year old mother of two from Kings Heath. She gives her take on family life in the city.
Be thankful that we dont live in the USA, some schools over there are sponsored by the likes of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Pepsi etc, thereby ensuring that only their products are sold to the kids at lunchtimes.
They will also sponsor the sports teams, ensuring that their logos are displayed around all of the sports facilities.
Good lord, really? That's shocking.
Schools having links to business can often bring many benefits to students (she says, politically) but I think direct sponsorship of this kind is an insidious way of helping companies, whilst saying it is of benefit to children.
They have also been known to get rid of all of the water fountains and replace them with their drinks vending machines.
I think this is an excellent point - and well made Laura. In an age when we are bombarded by science telling us there is so much evidence about healthy eating and behaviour, it is hard to fathom the logic of it all.