New guidelines on school sponsors

Many school computers have come through commercial schemes

New guidelines have been released to help regulate the relationship between schools and business.

Teachers have often complained that firms use schools to target the consumers of tomorrow, by running schemes where children and parents collect food wrappers or supermarket tokens in return for school equipment.

Firms also sponsor teaching materials and activities.

The teaching unions warn the new voluntary code of conduct represents a relaxation of the previous guidelines.

Schools often have boxes with logos where food wrappers can be left

The guidelines were drawn up by the Consumers' Association and IBSA - the trade body which represents big advertisers.

Allan Asher, a director of the Consumers' Association, said there was a great need for this voluntary code of practice.

"Although it was a useful starting point, we could never find any real evidence that the old guidelines were ever used," he said.

"And there has been a growth in commercial activity so we thought there was a need for a checklist to make it more of a subjective process."

Government backing

The guide - which has been endorsed by the government - is designed to be used by schools and businesses to develop and assess a wide range of commercial activities.

The sorts of ventures covered include sponsored teaching packs and materials, sponsored activities such as competitions and collector schemes such as 'wrappers for books'.

The guide recommends that schools adopt their own clear policies on sponsorship.

It says materials sponsored by business should be of clear educational benefit.

The authors say the aim is to help teachers and school governors to decide whether 'the educational benefits of the commercial activity outweigh the potential disbenefits'.

"It's unhealthy for our school children to be the poor relations," says Peter Smith

Ian Twinn, of the advertisers' group ISBA said: "All reasonable commentators agree that well thought-out commercial activities can be of benefit to schools and businesses.

"They can add value to school life and the curriculum, and can provide welcome additional resources.

"Yet commercial activities in schools are no easy option for businesses. This is a sensitive sector, which requires high levels of consideration and responsibility from businesses.

"It is important that there is a framework within which schools and businesses can work together towards best practice."

Peter Smith, the general secretary of The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said most schools would rather not accept handouts.

"These new guidelines are long overdue and do reflect the substantial dependence that is, sadly, a fact of life for schools all over the country," he said. 

"Primary schools are becoming more and more dependent on tokens collected from supermarkets and crisp packets to make up for shortfalls in government funding.

"ATL has long been urging the government to address the serious under-funding of primary schools and commission an independent audit of the extent to which schools have been forced to rely on subsidies from teachers themselves, volunteer support, parental donations, voucher schemes and other fundraising endeavors.

"It is not that Britain's schools are anti- commercial, it is just unhealthy for our school children to be the poor relations, dependent on handouts."