Commercialism in Schools (continued)

Corporate sponsorship can backfire when the public underestimates the needs of schools that have turned to corporate sponsors (Hagelshaw, in Merrow 1999). Communities can become accustomed to private funding of their schools, making fundraising in the public sector more difficult. "The more that schools resort to private enterprise as a source of funding for public education, the less the school board, state legislature, and Congress feel obligated to allocate from the public purse" (Fege and Hagelshaw).

What Ethical and Legal Issues are Raised by In-School Commercialism?

• Force children to view advertising in the classroom 
• Market unhealthful food and drinks to children 
• Masquerade as educational materials, activities, or programs 
• Invade students' privacy as a condition of participating in technology-related learning activities 
• Use children as market research subjects 
• Take place without the informed consent of parents

Such practices, critics argue, exploit a captive audience, violate public trust, and undermine schools' ability to teach children essential skills such as critical discernment, healthful eating habits, and safe behavior on the Internet.

The growth of commercialism in schools appears to have outpaced laws and regulations at state and federal levels. Only nineteen states have adopted laws to regulate commercial activities in the classroom, and these laws vary widely in specificity and intent. Some laws permit, rather than prohibit, specific commercial activities in schools (Shaul).

At the federal level, The Better Nutrition for School Children Act of 2001 limits the availability of junk food and soda in schools and increases the U.S. Department of Agriculture's authority over school-lunch programs. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 protects children under thirteen years of age from infringement of their privacy by commercial websites (Willard 2000).

Moreover, many schools will be required to comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), enacted in 2000, which seeks to protect minors who use the Internet from being exposed to pornography and other inappropriate material. Enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001, the CIPA statute applies to "all schools receiving funding through the E-rate program and technology funding through Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act" (Willard 2001).

How Should a School Policy Address In-School Commercialism?

• When evaluating technology resources for classroom use, Willard (2000) suggests asking, "Is advertising the vehicle to support the delivery of a high quality educational resource, or has the educational resource been established for the purpose of advertising, brand promotion, or corporate promotion?" Willard (2000) also recommends that schools specifically address commercialism on the Internet through policy provisions such as the following: 
  • Students under thirteen years of age should not provide personal information such as name, address, or other contact information on the Internet unless the information is for an approved, legitimate educational purpose. 
  • When teachers select sites for student research, the sites should be analyzed for quality, appropriateness, and suitability of educational content, and reviewed for the presence of banner ads. 
  • Teachers should guide the research activities of students to limit their exposure to banner advertising.

The National Association of State Boards of Education (2000) cautions that exclusive vending contracts, or "pouring rights," should never include incentives for increasing students' consumption of unhealthy foods and drinks. NASBE also recommends the following contract provisions: