Supermarket Voucher Schemes Exposed
November 18, 2008 by Joe Fogarty · Leave a Comment
Writing in The Unsuitablog, Keith Furnish has published a series of articles analysing the way that school supermarket voucher schemes work in English schools. Against Commercialism in Education
November 5, 2008 by Mark Conroy · Leave a Comment
- Breaking the Barcodes
Nov. 5th sees the world’s first attempted co-ordinated action against commercialisation in education (including against fees for education). So far, activists in 22 countries have signed up to have mass co-ordinated events. This essay seeks to look at some of the issues involved in commercialism in education.
Since we have not reached the level of commercialism in our schools that pervade an education system such as the American one, perhaps now is the time to begin the fight against the commercialism that is present, before it becomes too much to be countered.
ICT in schools being outsourced to private firms?
September 15, 2008 by niallsmyth · Leave a Comment
Information and Communications Technology, a key area integrated across many of the primary curriculum subjects, is being outsourced to a private commercial company “Futurekids” at significant cost to parents in some schools around Ireland.
It has come to the attention of the Campaign for Commercial Free Education that children are being charged in the region of €50 per term in some schools to avail of the computers and technology programmes offered by Futurekids.
Commercial magazine uses school children to target parents
September 11, 2008 by niallsmyth · Leave a Comment
A new commercial magazine, produced by the “market-leading family media group” called Ireland4kids has been launched in the Republic of Ireland, aimed at “parents of primary school-aged children “and aiming “to provide parents with useful information on education, health, parenting, entertainment and fun things to do for all the family”.
Awards for Commercial-Free Schools.
September 8, 2008 by Joe Fogarty · Leave a Comment
CCFE and INTO certify Ireland’s first Commercial-Free Schools.
At a ceremony in the Teachers’ Club, Dublin on Friday 26th September, 13 primary schools from throughout Ireland were honoured and recognised for their stance in relation to commercial presentations in school. Pictured here is Miriam Jenkinson, Principal St. Patrick’s JNS, Skerries, Co. Dublin
Students React to Tesco’s Computers in Schools Scheme
June 15, 2008 by Mark Conroy · Leave a Comment
I gave my Higher Level Fifth Year English class the article “Opposing Tesco’s ‘Computers for Schools’ Voucher Scheme” for the reading comprehension section of their summer exam. Question 3 asked “What are your thoughts on these schemes?”
Here is a selection of student responses:
Student 1
I feel this is hugely unfair and no parent should be put under pressure to gain facilities for their school.
Student 2
To be honest, I never really thought about this voucher scheme, but from reading this extract, I now believe it to be an outrage [...] The Tesco company should be ashamed of themselves.
Student 3
I believe there is something corrupt about the way in which supermarkets operate to gain sales. [...] It shocks and appalls me. Read more
