Watch TV or Go to Jail

[Ming]

Channel One is an EDUCATIONAL NETWORK that broadcasts into schools. They provide the teachers with aids to help plan lessons from. As part of the deal, they provide ALL THE EQUIPMENT FOR FREE and usually toss in a equipment for a studio that allows the school to teach Broadcasting. They also offer money.

They do include commercials... but there are VERY STRICT GUIDELINES on what type of commercials can air.

Most schools can't afford this kind of equipment and WELCOME the opportunity to get it for free so that they can ENHANCE the education they can provide.

As far as religious freedom... try saying it's against your religion to learn math... and see how far that gets you.
Channel One is a just another teaching tool... so what if it has commercials. If it's against your religion to view commercials... the kids would never be allowed out of their homes... since you can't walk down a street without being exposed to ads... So don't give me that religious freedom crap

[realpolitic]

It is 2 years old, but the overpolicing is current. I live in a semirual county of 100,000 which has a 5 story jail that takes up 2 blocks (and those don't even include the people on probation and we sent to prison). I moved up here to get away from managers who sucked the life out of programmers like myself, only to have CAMP helicopters fly overhead often.

[Arrian]

Ok, I see the problem. On the one hand, the school benifits by getting equipment and money, on the other hand the programming is loaded with ads.

I'm torn on this one. It's good to get more money & goodies for schools, but it's bad to push ads on kids, as if there isn't enough commercialization already!

Then again, if this had been done in my school, we most likely would have spent the time mocking the program/ads. In fact, mandating that kids watch something is a pretty good way of ensuring they don't like it.

-Arrian

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Ming

As far as religious freedom... try saying it's against your religion to learn math... and see how far that gets you.

They aren't asking for passing grades, are they?

[mrmitchell]

As far as religious freedom... try saying it's against your religion to learn math... and see how far that gets you.

Now what did I just mention about school efficiency being at stake? Channel One doesn't hurt, and watching it is certainly not a necessary ingredient of any school day.

There ARE guidelines for the commercials (i.e. you won't see a beer commercial or the Marlboro Man) but commercials are commercials.

And, with no response, I guess you agree that it is indeed extreme

[realpolitic]

Originally posted by Ming
Channel One is an EDUCATIONAL NETWORK

Does it educate kids to drink Coke or Pepsi?

[mrmitchell]

Does it educate kids to drink Coke or Pepsi?

Coke and Pepsi aren't advertised on Channel One, I think.

On the other hand, Coke and Pepsi machines in school are the same dilemma. It's big bucks to have a soda machine at school, but the downside is that everyone knows it's just the company making grabs for kids not yet Coke or Pepsi fanatics. (And it's a company advertising..duh... )

[Ming]

Kids watch education movies in classrooms across America... this is no different except for the commercials.

And they are not LOADED with commercials. they are strickly limited, far more so than regular television.
And there can be NO DIRECT sell in the commercials... like buy a barbie... or use our mouthwash so you can get laid... There are VERY strict guidelines.

The average person is exposed to over 1,000 ads a day... a few more isn't going to kill them... but it can provide a better educational tool for teachers to use.

[mrmitchell]

And there can be NO DIRECT sell in the commercials.

"A day without corn puffs is like a day without my skateboard", coming from one of those hip youngster "extreme sports" figures. You're the ad exec, so you know what's direct sell and what's not, but a sell is a sell.

[General Ludd]

I think people are missing the real problem here... JAIL TIME FOR SKIPPING CLASS? It's the students choice if he wants to watch some lame ass TV show every morning. Skipping it might make him more likely to fail (not likely) but so what, that's his choice.

[Sava]

advertising can have a significant negative impact on people... I'd rather not expose kids to a few more...

[Ming]

Originally posted by Sava
advertising can have a significant negative impact on people...

Prove it... instead of just making stuff up, show some real life proof of your claims.

(Oh, and what did you think of Jag bag Thursday today... some great stuff)

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Ming


Prove it... instead of just making stuff up, show some real life proof of your claims.

You are the proof, Ming.

[Ming]

Originally posted by Osweld
You are the proof, Ming.

Great response there... did it take you a few minutes to come up with it

Find some "real" scientific study to prove the point... good luck...

[Starchild]

Ming shows a remarkable ability to bend to authority.

The kids walked out because they had objections to television. It's the equivalent of walking out of a biology on dissection day because you have moral problems with cutting up a frog. It's something that gets sorted out in the school, not juvie.

Does walking out hurt their education? Possibly.

Does walking out cause the removal of Channel One funding? No unless so little dissent is tolerated that two students can bring the system down.

Might the students have to work harder to make up for the missed learning? Yes. They may even have to open a book and have a discussion instead of being sat in front of a TV and made to watch ads. Shock. Horror.

Is the US school system a complete nutcase compared to the rest of the world? Yes.