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Schoolhouse Commercialism Leaves Policymakers Behind

The Sixteenth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercializing Trends finds that, in a context of fierce corporate opposition to regulation, lack of concern in the education sector about commercialism, and a general assumption by stakeholders that school participation in marketing programs is a constructive way to raise money little state or federal legislation related to school commercialism was signed into law in 2012 or 2013.  Advocacy groups within the United States and internationally are, however, increasingly aware of the threats that marketing programs pose to children, especially in the areas of nutrition and privacy.  The report outlines the threats that commercializing activities in schools pose to the health and well-being of students and to the integrity of schools’ educational programs, and recommends that policymakers ban them outright unless an independent entity certifies that a proposed commercializing activity will cause no harm to children or otherwise undermine the quality of their education.