Consumer Education

Nordic consumer organizations, government agencies and authorities have collaborated on educational issues since the 1960s. Over the last ten years, collaboration in the sector of consumer education has been extended to the Baltic States. Consumer agencies in Nordic countries and Estonia have a common task when it comes to promoting consumer education in schools. Nordic-Estonian Consumer Education group is established in 2007 as an informal cooperation group. The main purpose of the NE-group is to promote consumer education, co-ordinate projects and create bi-lateral networks (universities and state authorities) within the field of consumer education. The actions of the group are based on the document: Teaching Consumer Competences, a Strategy for Consumer Education. The strategy is designed to enhance consumer education and the teaching of consumer competences and to help curriculum planners, educators, teachers and trainers. It also has the aim of encouraging development of competences and learning environments.

Following persons are behind the actions of Nordic- Estonian Consumer Education group:

Estonia: Hanna Turetski, Consumer Protection Board of Estonia
Finland: Taina Mäntylä, The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority
Norway: Sissel Annie Husebråten, Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion
Sweden: Malin Lindquist Skogar, Consumer Agency of Sweden

Using media at school - how to teach without commercial pressure
- Seminar on consumer education on 7th -8th May 2013 in Helsinki

The Nordic-Estonian working group for Consumer Education, in cooperation with the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority will organise a two-day seminar on consumer education on 7th -8th May 2013. The seminar venue is the Finnish National Board of Education, Hakaniemenranta 6, HELSINKI

The upcoming seminar is the last of six Nordic–Estonian workgroup meetings discussing the document Consumer Competences, a Strategy for Consumer Education. The background to the Nordic-Estonian work is the OECD’s policy recommendations on consumer education endorsed by the OECD’s Committee on Consumer Policy (CCP). The seminar is focusing on the issue of commercial media as defined in the strategy .

The aim of the seminar is to discuss  

• the possibilities of educating tomorrows consumer about marketing, advertising and media.
• how commercialism and especially commercial media is present in the learning environments of schools. Learning environments include the school facilities and equipment, business cooperation and learning materials provided by commercial entities and partners.
• the role and possibilities of media – and consumer education, the new challenges in the field of digitalization of learning environments,
• responsible behaviour of businesses providing learning materials, curriculum’s role in the development of learning environments and teacher’s role in the ever changing media world.

Discussion themes include the role of advertisement, business cooperation and the process of successful learning.

Seminar programme
Presentations
Article to inspire you to the seminar topics

We are pleased to invite you to attend the seminar. It is aimed to researchers, university lecturers and teacher training schools with an interest in consumer issues as well as organisations, agencies, enterprises, providers of learning materials (companies, communities) and advertisers, authors and teachers working with consumer education.

Participation is free of charge but meals are not included except for coffee and refreshments. Also for budgetary reasons we will be unable to refund any travel, accommodation or other expenses, if not agreed on in advance.

Please register at http://www.webropolsurveys.com/S/770B8168D5B9A40D.par . The closing date is 16th of April 2013.

The map of the area

Contact information:

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms Taina Mäntylä taina.mantyla@kkv.fi or Ms Anne Makkonen anne.makkonen@kkv.fi

In cooperation:

Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, Swedish Consumer Agency, Estonian Consumer Protection Board, Norwegian Ministry of Children Equality and Social Inclusion, Finnish National Board Of Education, Helsinki University, The Finnish Society on Media Education, School Cinema. 

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