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Corporate sponsorship for Education?

Meenakshi said Sep 1, 2007, 4:40 AM:

Li asked, on the Public Education thread:Do you all think corporate sponsorship of education has its merits though? I think it may.

I brought it into another thread, as we are now not only talking about public education. In the U.S., charter schools are growing in popularity, as they are more flexible and easier to administer. Most [all?] have corporate sponsorships. Of course, they don't have the variety of courses and possibilities that public schools do.

In India, a few large corporations have begun their schools too; but I don't know much more about them.

What I'm more concerned about is, how much will corporations interfere with educators? On one hand, I would like people in one part of “real life” out there to inject some realism; but on the other hand, education for me is not a product that leads to a conclusion; but something ongoing. But that is another thread.

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Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

janos said Sep 1, 2007, 6:59 AM:

Let's do some vertical thinking.

How come that corporations have these massive funds for acting as sponsors for all things in all areas of society at large?

Surely they have these surplus funds because they are defrauding their customers.

According to economic theory, competition between suppliers in a market ensures that business entities will make just enough profits to make it worthwhile for them to stay in business. They are not supposed to become fund holders to finance social infrastructure developments.

Remember the phrase; It's the economy, stupid?
Please note, no personal insinuation is meant here, but the Knights and Amazons in the economics team better get their mental skates on!
This team is responsible, among other things, for understanding why the current economic model does not enable the economy (the functioning economy is the result of the theoretical structure which guides the actions of economic agents) to fully and fairly address the first rang of Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

火狐　Li said Sep 1, 2007, 10:27 AM:

I think Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a buzz word thats been quite popular recently as high level corporate scandals have prompted share holders to seek greater accountability of how their investments are used. But, I am seeing the term more often used to define the “charitable works” or social projects of corporations, and I wonder if in the future this will be expanded from supporting charitable foundations to funding mainstream education.

But first I would like to qualify something. I think the corporate funding of higher-education has been well established as Domus states in his post which sums the research tendencies in the global scientific field. Companies are interesting in subsidizing, if not subsuming research departments in universities which have developed facilities to cut the costs to their own Research and Development budget. And univerisity researchers are just as keen on getting funding and better equipment.

-The danger here is of course dependency, and the narrowing of fields of interest to cater corporate interests.

Now as Janos states, corporations are by theory to abstain from being fund holders of larger infrastructural developments. And for the most part I agree, but I have this sinking feeling that this will change as more of us become shareholders of corporations vis-a-vis our pensions. (please correct me if I am wrong). There is a vested interest on the part of corporations to foster creative new talent to meet the resource shortages awaiting in the future.

Meenakshi's question “how much will corporations interfere with educators?” is a vital question as well, and it could be considered along the lines of elementary/secondary and post-secondary education. I think the spectre of corporations having a grip on children at such impressionable ages is daunting to most.

.

Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

火狐　Li said Sep 1, 2007, 7:39 PM:

Meenakshi, thank you for informing me about charter schools, I think I will look for more information concerning this debate over its merits as I am considering teaching as a potential career path.
One question though, can you clarify what it means for corporate subsidized education to inject “realism” or reali-life experiences into curriculla? – Thank you. : )

In a recent article in the financial post I read that around 50% of Canadian companies donate to charitable causes, but most of these companies do not accounce their donations lest their “good” (?) intentions be misconstrued. Of course there are tax-breaks associated with donating, but the benefits of such funds to charitable organization is something that should be recognized. In addition to this, companies who have their employees engaged directly in CSR activities have a better image and their workers are apparently much more motivated.

Now for the contentious bit—>
Corporate sponsorship of primary and secondary education:
—
its a scary thought.
but it could be an efficient means of channeling back the funds defrauded from us back into the community, no?
the problem might be the extent to which a corporation has control over how the funds are used in a school, in other words the autonomy of a school from a corporation. So long as this is regulated and there is an agreement over the amount and duration of the funding, I think the dangers of schools becoming entirely dependent on corporate funding will be mitigated.

Re: Corporate sponsorship = Shaking hands with the devil?

火狐　Li said Sep 2, 2007, 1:25 PM:

Come to think of it– I've come to the sad realization that I have bought the corporate line hook-line and sinker. The alternative question might be.. how will we keep the corporations our of education?

That said, I don't really see the harm of a rigorously regulated corporate sponsorship of education, so long as corporations don't peddle their products to impressionable youngsters.

-oh yes, an anecdote about shaking hands with the devil (Coke)

My University made a contract with Coke a few years back. Coke gave my school 8.5 million dollars/year for ten years 29% of this money went to the student association, the rest went to disability access, student services, library, and food services.

The universities part of the deal was to sell 33,600,000 cans or bottles of Coca Cola products (water included!) for ten years until 2005. The terms of this contract were only revealed recently, and it was revealed that since the school could not sell the abovementioned quantity, Coke would continue to have a monopoly in selling beverages on campus for two more years.

Was it worth it?

-did I mention that the president of my university recieved 3.5 million annually?

Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

Fusedroot said Sep 4, 2007, 1:41 AM:

eeeesssshhhh… a yes and no … who can tell in this Chaos ?

bang..hope you don't mind, i was woken up by a bang this monrning !! Creating me to Be “Weary” ABOUT Anything from the Civilised world
…. AND” im purging”.. just for my 2 cents this morning ….

Corporate = eventual corruption of surrounding local resources , face it , its an obvious fact… the dynamic of corporate's bring about the modern world as we know, (and deny)… because corporate is another word for mass hysteria, killing in 'war' is Ok .. init… The spoils of war is not an ugly term, and nor is pride… which it should be !
examples amount to the same thing .. like say, Corporate Companies that mine TIN in the Congo (how embarrasing to have a computer!)… so blame “blood diamonds”… no don't blame the ultra rich they are only mammals like us…except they can afford to fund the local college ironically.
So in this pointless BABYLON …where acedemics from the east get factory jobs in the west just for €$£ … how pathetic … and I'm teased for I listen to SlipKnot ( most honest band I have ever heard from the States !)when I feel angry, and Mozart when ona Sunday Drive, besides ColdPlay because Cris Martin sings with Soul !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Lawyers earn a living from others mis-fortune” …a prime example of corporate world life.
“Doctors bury their mistakes ” …haha

I'm off to the dentist … aahh.
(I have a filling that lasted 7 years once !! … most last 1 year… mostly…I don't trust the medical fraternity , they are like politicians ….. I can persuade a doctor to give me what I want.. I tested many things … and use the internet as a cross-reference … HOW WEAK individuals in their 'office' bubbles are, I love U.K. RAP .( not show off american 50 cent stuff)
Skitz & rodney p… such real lyrics.. take a sip from the cup this world is so corrupt ,blad!)

I hear the 'misamena whisper' in the wind as loud as the roar of a lion. Eg ….Don't lite fires … ahh it's ok, Hunting … I guess It's a form of tourism & There are ethical ways, and controlled sustainable methods to this….. but I KNOW of the corruption … I have chatted with guides and Cameramen …. It's so easy now with sanctions in Zimbabwe for Hunters to go Blood-Lust wild and take trophies by the dozen … and have real destructive fun whilst at it …
( good analagy as the subtle rules of an african 'safari' say …. are always bent silly.) ah take a trophy or two.

Alternativly …. put a farm right in the middle of a animal migrationary pattern for British American Tobacco Companies then blame white farmers for taking the oppurtunity /// don't compensate them when forced to leave, and then blame the whole thing on mugabe… easy.

more purging ? ….Besides it was “law” in America to Grow 1 ha of HEMP for ropes/cloth etc 100 years ago to boost their economy … that “wonder plant” is known as “Drugs” today, and its associations bread confusion and fear

… I'm not worried about human migration patterns anymore, I'm concerned about the Wild-Life on this planet … so get lost for all I care.

….more….(angry young man side of me now…. )Hollands health system is largley funeded on tax generated from Pot Smokers … coffee shops …
The weak analysis for its 'illegal' classification through-out the 'civilised?' world is largly by attacking the over-Chemically induced forms of this herb that have caused FAKE statistics and FEAR … it's just not fair that people can sit in a pub and have a beer, and not in a coffee shop woth their laptop and have a puff… I do not believe in the civilised world that only consider their 1st world vices …. Prozac nation, guns, thuggery .
…licences for guns & not (pot)peace bro !!! how 'stupid' is that !!!!!!!!!!! free america … my ass
WHERES THE REAL POVERTY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! in your own back yard!

MY FAVOuRITE BAND AT THE MOMENT is “”THE THEIVERY CORPORATION””
such an appropiate NAME ! for this expression vehicle !! .. 25+ musicians … dubfusion ..cool
www.thieverycorporation.com

jlz (excuse the purging.. i did it on this page…)

Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

janos said Sep 4, 2007, 4:38 AM:

The “antichrist” ( a metaphorical term) has many servants. Corporations are one nice bunch of these.

Don't let them near your children!

Read When Corporations Rule the World.

PS Corporations can be redeemed, though. But they will have to re-assume the same limitations as humans work under. Foremost of these is mortality.

Mortality was part of the original legal framework which created corporations.
When the objective for which they came into existence was achieved they had to go out of business.
This was the original historical compromise between corporations and human society which allowed them to be invented.

The subject of corporate law and the need for its radical “pruning” should be discussed in Politics and Economics.

Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

Fusedroot said Sep 4, 2007, 4:06 AM:

I'll dilute my last post by adding that I know I did veer off the topic of “Corporate sponsorship for Education?”

regards

jlz

Re: Corporate sponsorship for Education?

Fusedroot said Sep 4, 2007, 5:56 AM:

Thanks for the links for pod links.
- meandering through.

Another thought I stumbled upon…
Pointing out the Corporate Identity issues… filtering Psychology that is embeded there-of ,,,with-in their institutions, Get a Job there … How robotic and boring, penetraiting the 'schools/colleges/ etc. Collumbine is an easy extreme example of the interests of the 'corporate' so is Moore I guess, however the real concern Is how corporates can balance out with the butcher, baker and candle stick maker … Why pin a Logo onto the schooling now … Do they control everything now.…. Schools hence, go underground…. or dissovle into the system.

Quote : PS Corporations can be redeemed, though. But they will have to re-assume the same limitations as humans work under. Foremost of these is mortality.

“That would mean having corporations making half their unnecessary shopping malls into big lounges, meditation centers, guided meeting rooms … Real stuff…Rehab to tai chi on the plastic peninsulars ..haha..or what ever art springs to that.. I will carry on my thoughts on the ˆˆArts after the change pod.

+QUOTE
“part of the deal was to sell 33,600,000 cans or bottles of Coca Cola products (water included!) for ten years until 2005. The terms of this contract were only revealed recently, and it was revealed that since the school could not sell the above mentioned quantity, Coke would continue to have a monopoly in selling beverages on campus for two more years.”

That is just plain scary … just the amount of consumation and waste …
I got my bike flask . I fill up for the afternoon … from a 5l Spring water… Is'nt that common sense…. not good news for the corporates if people start to think…. oh gosh…