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NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > Ethical considerations/protocol
LOGISTICS
Ethical considerations/protocol
Sponsorship/Publicity
Many industries work with schools and promote awareness of their interests to children and young people. A number of sectors have been criticised when the medium, timing or the message appears to compromise the best interests of the child. Manufacturers of sweets, drinks (high sugar, alcoholic), tobacco, crisps, cars, pharmaceuticals, have traditionally been targets of adverse coverage. More recently, attention has been turned to industries accused of paying insufficient attention to environmental protection or human rights - the timber and oil industries are cases in point. Even outside these categories, teachers may feel uncomfortable when support is too overtly commercial or product-linked.
Many teachers have a strong sense that businesses per se, and the quarrying industry in particular, does not give environmental issues the priority they feel it deserves. Whereas this is often based upon former poor standards, bad practice at a particular site or lack of unawareness of improved operational standards the essential role played by minerals (including recycled materials), such views may clearly prejudice involvement with a given school or teacher. Quarrying at least has an advantage that it is not directly in the market for selling its products to children, but that in itself misses the key message that we are all users of aggregates, whether we like it or not. Nevertheless some quarry industry initiatives could be considered by some as still too overtly commercial e.g. major school/community events immediately prior to a planning decision.
The Advertising Standards Association produces codes of practice (visit www.asa.org.uk); see also British Code of Advertising Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. There are also organisations which advise companies on ethical educational sponsorship.
'Published' References to Children
Legal matters relating to child protection and safety on site visits are referred to in the health and safety part of this section and reflect significant recent changes of public attitude. The inclusion of images or references to children in publicity or corporate materials, or in news items, is similarly sensitive (both in terms of child protection and human rights). Most schools, some LEAs and most newspapers, even printers have particular policies on such matters. Many schools for example became very wary about people (even other parents) taking photographs of children engaging in school activities; some require individual written parental consent for all children involved; some schools and some newspapers will not allow close ups (or face views) of children to be published, or more usually prohibit naming of individual children in print. Some LEAs also advised newspapers not to refer to pupils by name but some papers in turn responded by not printing any photographs. The situation has very recently relaxed in the light of experience gained by newspapers, the police and headteachers after the initial restrictions were largely self-imposed. National Association of Headteachers guidance reflects this in saying that schools should be allowed to use material with children in positive publicity. However there are still three situations where neither pictures nor names should be published i.e. where there is a particular risk of child abduction, reference to a child who is a ward of court, or is under a witness protection programme. Teachers can advise when this applies.
Forms of Address
There are no clear forms of address for students. Terms used can vary from 'kids' to say 'class 3BW', 'Miss Winthrop's Group', 'folks', even 'gentlemen' or 'young ladies'. Older pupils may be affronted by being called 'children' (although legally, most are 'children'), whereas those in primary schools are normally termed 'children'. All are 'students', and all in schools are 'pupils' but are rarely addressed as such. Most schools or individual teachers have their own conventions and it is therefore best practice to seek advice from the accompanying teacher. Similarly, practices in addressing adults, including company staff, vary; the use of 'sir' or 'miss' is still common and use of first names is often frowned upon as undermining authority.