Abstract
The aim of this study is to define the role of business sponsors in consumer education. Consumer educators need high quality teaching materials, but the teaching materials are insufficient in both Japan and the U.K..
In Japan the consumer education teaching materials at schools are produced by teachers, consumers interest organizations, local boards of education and local government authorities. So far no commercial sponsors have under taken to produce any teaching materials. However in the near future, a consumer education resource centre which will provide teaching materials also is going to be set up by a working party of representatives Of business sponsors, consumer interest organizations, educators and government authorities. Therefore it will be necessary to define the role of business sponsors in producing teahing materials.
In the U.K. according to the National Consumer Council reports, consumer education at schools is highly dependent on free, commercially sponsored materials. Some of these materials that circulate in the classrooms contain a lot of commercial and industrial advertisements. In 1983 the NCC surveyed consumer education at schools and recommended that teaching materials should never seek to promote the sponsor's goods or services and proposed certain safeguards. Following these recommendations, the working party organized by the NCC published in September 1988 'Guidelines for business sponsors of educational material'.
Having reviewed the guidelines of SOCAP, UNICE, IOCU and the NCC in detail, I conclude that business sponsors should provide accurate and up‐ to― date information in their teaching materials for education without any advertisements for their goods or services.
