The consultation, undertaken by the National Union of Teachers, shows the extent to which young people recognise that what is portrayed in the media is often unrealistic and superficial. It supports strongly, and in context, the Union’s charter, “Growing up in a Material World”.

This charter is an important contribution to the current debate on commercialisation and childhood from the perspective of teachers and schools. It sets out key measures to protect children from the damaging effects of marketing and advertising.

The health of the nation and particularly of its children continues to be a matter of concern and the NUT’s commitment to healthy schools, with its resource guidelines, is pertinent to the debate.

Are commercial companies helping schools by providing them with new resources or exploiting them to obtain new customers?

This briefing provides an overview of developments in the area of commercialisation.

Information and advice on commercial activities in schools including sponsored resources and collector schemes.