Commercial-Free Schools

What you can do: Teachers

As teachers, our mission is to educate and to deliver the kind of student-centred education set out in the National Curricula. The distortion of education by a corporate agenda undermines teachers’ status, demeans their privileged position and wastes their time.

• Join the Campaign for Commercial-Free Education and connect with other teachers opposing commercialism.
• Speak to your students and/or their parents about the growing number of commercial schemes being targeted at Irish schools. Explain why you won’t be collecting any proof of purchase or supermarket vouchers.
• Implement, in full, the “Media Education” unit of the curriculum, including sections dealing with advertising and marketing (eg SPHE Curriculum in primary schools). Encourage a critical attitude among students towards advertising.
• Raise this issue at your next staff meeting. Explain your views on commercial schemes and seek support among colleagues.
• Contact the Campaign for Commercial-Free Education if you or your school are not partaking in a commercial scheme – we’ll support and promote your position.
• Formulate an agreed school policy to reduce the level of advertising students are exposed to and reinforce the educational mission of the school. Examine the Campaign for Commercial-Free Education’s Template Policy.

Contact us today for details.