School used DD to advertise private businesses without our knowledge.

[m011y]

Sorry, new to MN and posted under staffroom, but should have been here. AIBU.
DC school has a 'business club'. We are not part of the club and as far as I can work out its a networking organisation for parents of small businesses. Financial support of the school is not a prerequisite to joining. The business club produces a termly magazine, mostly of advertising stuff, which is also uploaded to a website. This week the magazine came home with photographs of our DD in her school uniform holding placards promoting private businesses. We don't know the businesses or their owners and didn't consent to this. We agreed (signed the form)that DC could be photographed and appear on the school website/prospectus or around the school, but this is , in our opinion, entirely different from using our DD to promote private businesses, some of which don't even support the school financially. We are furious and have emailed the club and the head and are waiting a reply. AIBU?

Photo aside wouldn't this be a good thing for more schools to do. Networking parents and creating links that will help the children at the school in their future lives. Isn't that one reason why private schools are so vaunted?

I would be double checking exactly what you'd agreed too with the 'outside agencies' clause and making sure your DD's photo was only used in the business club letter and not elsewhere by the businesses in question.

"Model release forms" comes too mind here (not helpful, I know).

I think I have found the magazine - do you have a blue uniform? It does look a bit weird with all the children in the ads "endorsing" the businesses - I wouldn't be thrilled.

Are you trying to freak OP out Hip?

Battleax - wasn't trying to - sorry OP if I did (though other people are guessing the initials) - was putting off going to bed and facing the new school week so did a bit of googling - only took a couple of goes. I think it is very different signing something that is for school use and promotion and then finding that it has been used to endorse companies - and to be honest, it looks a bit odd (and unnecessary) to see school children holding up a sign advertising financial services or whatever. However, the magazine I found had an archive of issues of this "business magazine" going back over a year, so if it is that school, I am surprised that the OP hadn't spotted that this was a thing and queried it (and it would also be likely that the latest issue would be archived there too).

Ah, I didn't see the others. You freaked me out a bit and it's nothing to do with me. Handy warning though about how easy it is to find things.

Wow, OP. I can totally see your POV and think the school is in the wrong.

Your dd is 5. She can't 'endorse' any products/companies at her age, so using her to do is bizarre.

The business club concept is also a bizarre one. Blurs the line between school and parents' businesses.

Let us know how you get on with your complaint to the school.

So, just to update all you lovely ladies. After my initial email (to the head and the chair of the business club)we got no response from the head. The business club chair wrote back saying that they had changed the consent forms (they hadn't) and "thank you for drawing it to my attention". But no apology. No even an "i'm sorry you feel this way" apology, nothing. So I emailed him back and told him his response was unsatisfactory and he'd failed to address a clear breach of trust. I emailed and subsequently met the head. The head was very apologetic. Assured me that the consent forms have been changed (although they still haven't been sent to parents), that they will put a disclaimer on subsequent magazines clarifying that there is no link between the child and the business, and at least got my point. I didn't ask that they sent a disclaimer for the mag our DD was in as I felt I was making a fuss and drawing attention to something thats probably already in most peoples recycling bin. Call it lesson learned.

Good for you. I am sorry you had to go back to them twice. I think they have been very high handed.

Do be careful in future when signing consents though. You don't have to sign them at all.

This publication is not directly related to your child's school. I cannot believe they used this photo without consulting you first. Absolutely shocking. YANBU at all.