Parent complains over movie adverts in primary school
A PRIMARY school in Bristol has removed a poster advertising a blockbuster animated film after a parent complained it was inappropriate.
Parent Darren Moore noticed the large poster advertising the computer-animated comedy Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted in a dining hall while he was attending a parents' evening at Avonmouth Primary School.
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Gloria, Melman, Marty and Alex, the main characters in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
Following his complaint, the school's head teacher Vicky Dupras, pictured, decided to terminate its contract with JazzyMedia, a company which had paid the school a small amount to display promotional posters.
Mr Moore said he had been "quite shocked and saddened" that the school in Catherine Street had chosen to display the film poster.
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He said: "I am totally opposed to adverts aimed at primary school children and worry that if deemed acceptable it will become more commonplace."
Mr Moore, who has two children at the school, added that pupils were "there to develop and learn, not be seduced".
He said: "Whilst I don't agree with advertising to primary-aged pupils, I completely understand that the school needs to find new sources of income in these tough times. I think the parents should have been informed.
"I have a lot of respect for Mrs Dupras and the teachers and the good job they do. This is the first time I have disagreed with the way the school is run."
Mrs Dupras said: "We've had posters up for a number of years and on reflection, after Mr Moore had mentioned it to one of our teachers, I agreed with him and cancelled our contract with JazzyMedia.
"The company works with a lot of schools and it's not just adverts for things – we had posters about charity campaigns. But we agreed that adverts for movies was inappropriate and it's now gone. We've put a Keep Britain Tidy poster up there instead."
The school received £10 for every poster from JazzyMedia which it displayed.
Mrs Dupras said: "JazzyMedia is a way for businesses and charities and educational companies to communicate with head teachers, teachers and pupils. They say they work with 6,000 nurseries, schools and colleges.
"We had started our contract with them before I began at the school and it has more often been posters for campaigns like Keep Britain Tidy and charities. We've always selected which ones have gone up and have never put anything up which is inappropriate for primary-age pupils."
Comments
by MDDaddy
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 10:27PM
“Well done to the parent and the school, there shouldn't be any advertising in schools where children should go to learn and play in a wholesome environment, not be distracted by advertisers trying to sell them stuff.”
by Lone_Ranger
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 9:26PM
“The school got ten whole pounds for showing the advertisement so that amount can easily be sourced from elsewhere.
Don't see what Cuba or North Korea have to do with an advert in a school in Avonmouth.”
by bristolreded
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 7:17PM
“If you don't like adverts then pay extra money to the school to make the difference in cost then, they need the money or move to cuba or north korea.”
by Jonnyfandango
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 5:34PM
“@Lolly - bit slow there love”
by Lone_Ranger
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 4:04PM
“This may well only have been a single poster but there is a matter of principal at stake here. Schools are for education and not for business advertising. How on earth did the school think that such advertising was in any way appropriate?
There is a time and place for such advertising and a school is neither.”
by BristolDJ
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:47PM
“Two points..
One. Don't have children, these children are primary school so shouldn't even have a phone etc and access to the internet (if any) should be under supervision.
Two. If you know parents who can't operate phones & computers (impossible in this day and age as it is for work) then they are morons and probably shouldn't be looking after children in the first place.”
by nathleps
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:34PM
“"the school's head teacher Vicky Dupras, pictured"
How rude!”
by GoveKnows
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:28PM
“ed: inflict *control*”
by GoveKnows
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:27PM
“"so control to all media and phones etc can be controlled by the parent."
Most of the other parents I know barely know how to use their phones, computers etc. Any control they attempt to inflict is quickly put to one side by their kids.
Besides, on a broader note, stop trying to control your children. They'll hate you for it.”
by BristolDJ
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:18PM
“@goveknows...
Don't you see the point though, all the above the parent has control over. These are (very) young kids so control to all media and phones etc can be controlled by the parent. Loss of control to the exposure is the issue here, not the content. How hard is that to grasp!?”