Is Advertising in Schools Ethical?

Though bored kids facing a chemistry test in the morning may disagree, for advertisers schools represent a dream venue. Unlike the playground or the youth club, kids have to attend by law, which is why marketers are so keen to get their messages into as many places in the classroom as possible.

It's a potentially massive market, too. At present marketers estimate that adverts deployed in UK schools could reach a potential 10 million pupils, one million teachers and over 13 million parents.

In the US commercial activities including advertising, market research and sponsorship in schools has risen dramatically over the last decade. In the UK advertising in schools isn't as widespread (mainly because of the opposition of parents and teaching unions to the idea) but companies are still coming up with ways to reach this tempting captive market.

The fact is that although many parents and teachers may not like the idea of inviting advertisers onto the school grounds, the money that advertising generates is a serious temptation to cash-strapped schools that may be facing cuts in funding.

Vending Machines and Fast Food

Until two years' ago vending machine advertising was one of the most popular ways to promote food and soft drink brands to young people in UK schools. As well as supplying the products to youngsters, vending machines often featured large illuminated adverts with a company logo or product. The practice was banned by the government in 2006 thanks to widespread popular concern about the poor nutritional value of the food some kids were getting in their school cafeterias.

As yet, no school in England has gone as far as setting up a fast food franchise within school grounds (a trend that is growing in the States). However, in Scotland AG Barr (who manufacture Irn-Bru) controversially sponsored some school cafeterias in the 1990s. Interiors were painted to reflect corporate colours while staff wore coloured clothing which matched the Irn-Bru logo.

Classroom Sponsorship

Because under-funded schools are often short of textbooks, lesson plans and other teaching materials they may be receptive to freebies - even if the material features marketing messages. Banks, fashion houses and toy manufacturers all provide exercise books and lesson plans with branded logos and messages inside.

More controversially, some free teaching programmes feature advertising content as part of the lesson - for example, healthy eating programmes sponsored by fast-food brands. These kind of programmes may be treated with suspicion in the UK, but that hasn't stopped advertisers testing the waters. For instance, a hi-fi company recently sponsored a 'Make Me A DJ' competition which was designed to slot straight into children's music lessons.

It's Effective, But Is It Ethical?

As we've seen, advertising in schools really is the final frontier for advertisers with designs on children, as it's one of the only public spaces currently not widely populated by advertising. The money it brings in may be useful for schools, but kids' campaigners have pointed out that there's much more at stake than cash.

Critics maintain that children are entitled to an advertising-free environment in which to learn. They also argue that children should be taught how to understand the ads and learn about the techniques advertisers use to persuade them. The marketers may have the money and the means, but so far many schools feel it's right to say 'no' to ads in the classroom.