Call for guidelines as firms market goods in schools

FAST-FOOD chains, chocolate manufacturers, supermarkets and other firms are marketing their products in primary schools in the absence of clear policies from Government or at local level.

But this situation needs to be examined for possible links to childhood obesity according to the head of a campaign for commercial-free education.

That’s the conclusion of an article in the Department of Education’s Oideas journal, which examined how advertisers use schools for their commercial benefit.

The author Joseph Fogarty, principal of Corballa National School in Co Sligo, referred to schemes such as Cadbury’s 2002 Get Active in Britain, offering schools a cricket set in return for tokens from 2,730 chocolate bars — this many bars would contain more than 500,000 calories.

He highlighted initiatives here, including the Catch and Kick gaelic football skills scheme sponsored by McDonald’s and featuring the restaurant chain’s logo on balls, bibs and equipment sent to 3,000 primary schools.

A Co Offaly school returned the materials as they clashed with its healthy eating policy, but Mr Fogarty suggested that other policies should also be revised.

“Faced with increasing volumes of commercial schemes, it appears important that all organisations concerned, from individual schools to the Department of Education, review their position and formulate a clear policy in relation to this trend,” he said.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has sought a directive from Department of Education on product promotions.