Advertising information in the new Ukrainian school textbooks: didactic and legal aspects

The article deals with the problem of placing the advertising information in educational publications for primary school, created within the reform of the New Ukrainian School. Using of advertising messages about well-known all-Ukrainian and local brands for educational purposes in textbooks for grades 1-3, “Ukrainian language. Bukvar “and” Ukrainian language and reading “are accented.

The article emphasizes that representatives of brands, which are mentioned in the textbook in public communication, deny the fact of direct advertising. They point out that they were not informed about the use of their identities and descriptions of their products in textbooks. Clear examples of such content were found and commented on.

The article analyses the legal aspect of compliance with the relevant provisions of Ukrainian law, which allow the use any content for educational support without informing the rights holders of their use. The debatable use of the facts of direct or hidden advertising information in the educational process is focused. The main aspects of the public discussion of such facts revealed in the new textbooks for primary school are indicated.

Summarizing our analysis, we can highlight that the authors of the textbooks use media texts, including advertising appeals, to fulfil the requirements of the programs and bring the text closer to schoolchildren, so that the children can critically evaluate the media environment. Obviously, advertising information can be used for didactic purposes, according to the authors, but there is an obvious need for careful and thoughtful selection of relevant media material and its adaptation to educational tasks – in textual and visual aspects.

Keywords: NUS, textbooks, direct advertising information, media texts, educational targets.

doi: 10.32403/0554-4866-2020-2-80-185-195