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EDUCATION MINISTER NORMA Foley has said it is her department’s view that “it would not generally be appropriate for commercial content to be shot on school property”.
“However, such decisions are a matter for the board of management/ETB concerned,” she said, while pointing to potential issues around data protection and the Teaching Council’s code of conduct for teachers.
Her comments come after it was highlighted that several teachers with social media followings – which they have gained from sharing content about their teaching experiences – have been posting videos showing them using Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) materials in the classroom, with children visible in the background.
The materials came from HRI’s ‘The Road to Racing Primary School Programme’.
Response from Minister Foley to the outrageous practice of @HRIRacing paying teachers to promote their industry in the classroom & in online content.
— Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (@AodhanORiordain) July 24, 2023
In short individual BOMs should clamp down on it.
A circular from the Dept to each school to that effect should be issued. pic.twitter.com/xtDIMCJi5b
In a response to Labour’s Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, the minister said the board of management of each school have a responsibility to ensure the quality of education and to manage staff in the school.
The minister also pointed out that under the Teacher Council of Ireland code of professional conduct, teachers should “avoid conflict between their professional work and private interests which could reasonably be deemed to impact negatively on pupils/students”.
The code of conduct is in place so the education community and public can be informed about the “expectations” that are placed on them, with the code also used as a “reference point” in exercising any investigative or disciplinary functions.
In the response, it was also explained that teachers must comply with GDPR regulations, which includes the assurance that videos are processed in compliance with data protection legislation.
Schools should also have in place an “acceptable use policy” to address all rights, privileges, responsibilities and sanctions associated with the use of the internet and digital technologies within the school, said Foley, who added that this policy applies to staff as well as pupils.
Education lecturer Cara Reilly flagged the practice this week on social media.
One of the teacher influencers who filmed social media posts in her classroom and then posted them online, spoke in the video about how she has been using HRI’s “new, free, primary school programme which is all about horse racing”.
The account has 16,000 followers on Instagram.
She said that through materials provided by HRI, she has been taking the children in her class “along the journey of jockey Danny Mullins”.
She said that her students, using materials provided by HRI “decided to write about a day in the life of jockey Danny Mullins”, and she showed clips of the exercises written out by children.
Other similar videos have been posted on TikTok by various Irish teacher influencer accounts.
HRI is the governing body for horse racing in Ireland.
It receives public funding through the Government – to the tune of €72.8 million this year.
It has asked for more funding to cover the costs arising from increasing insurance costs, the difficulties posed by Brexit, and the need for investment in veterinary care.
It also generates a substantial amount of money into the country’s economy.
Following the response from the minister, Ó Ríordáin said it is time for school boards of management to “clamp down” on such influencer activity in schools, calling for the department to issue a circular to all schools.
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“Be sure to do you homework-oh and don’t forget to like and subscribe!”
With Drag queen storytime and now horses in the classroom, Irish schools have become a right Pantomime.
Time to get back to basics.
@Conway Whitty: Yeh, bring back the Nuns and the Christian Brothers. Haven’t seen Drag Queens around my area but plenty of horses.
@Conway Whitty: No shoes and a 2 mile walk in the driving rain.
Hey guys, cool your jets there. No one mentioned religious indoctrination.
Back to basics : The basics of education.
Okay dudes.
@Conway Whitty: My kids won’t ever attend a ‘drag queen’ story time, and I think most parents would feel the same.
@Lazlo: Do the same with Churches and they’ll be better off.
Do the children not have a right to privacy?
That Foley one is about as useful as an underwater hairdryer.
Hey teacher!………..Leave those kids alone.
Horse Racing Ireland got 42 million euro taxpayers money because Leo thinks that it is alright for cruelty on horses with jockeys allowed to use a whip to ensure they go faster in races. Horse Racing must be the only sport where the main element the horse has no say. As for teachers also being influencers use your qualifications to influence the children by teaching them.
@rory Mcgovern: Add to this greyhound racing and the millions they receive.
Hare coursing clubs get some money from the greyhound pot as well.
Shocked to hear about this. And even more taken aback by the Education Minister’s response that it is a matter for each individual BOM. Whether people are pro the sport or not Horse Racing is hardly an appropriate part of the school curriculum. Aside from information on working with horses as a career choice (a perfectly fine way to earn a living for the most part) this really appears a cynical move promoting the financial future of the sport.
I wonder – if any BOM was asked to agree to the video being made
did any school receive money or other incentive for their permission
Did any one other than the Influencer benefit financially or otherwise
Did DOE, BOM, or parents cross check and approve the materials being promoted
@Siobhan O’Sullivan Morrin: Teaching about racing is as appropriate as teaching about any other sport in which Irish people compete and it falls under the strand units of a number of different subjects on the curriculum. The issue here isn’t teaching about racing, it’s teachers exploiting their classes for personal gain.
Schools are targets for all sorts of sales people.
% of the profits goes to the school. job done. Capitalise socialism.
Any teacher abusing their position to influence students to buy products online should be disciplined at the very least.
I remember showing Ireland v Spain WC football match in class. Where does that fit in all this ?
@Virgil: All depends. It could be classed as cruelty to children forcing them to watch a team that at times can barely string three passes together.
have your say