Pixelated Semantics

Captive audiences

Turning education into great marketing opportunities: a sure sign of the numbing Americanisation of Australia, starting with the kids. The SMH reports film distributors are paying a "professional teachers organisation" to create study guides based on the Hollywood blockbusters, bypassing the [NSW] Department of Education and the Board of Studies, emailing the material directly to thousands of teachers, who are also offered free entry to special screenings. The marketing types admit there's "an aspect of it that generates awareness of our products" - and while education rightfully accomodates changes to popular culture, placing blatant commerical bias in the curriculum runs completely contrary to standards and needs. "Dumbing down" becomes socially acceptible by the backdoor: accepting the "opportunity to market new films to children in the classroom" may well replace the development and teaching of critical skills, approximating "cash for comment" in schools.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 12:49 pm ::