Schools for consumer awareness

Published on February 15, 2023

Since the 2016/2017 school year, the ministry responsible for consumer protection encourages and recognizes the consumer awareness education activities of primary and secondary schools in the framework of the Consumer Awareness School competition. One of the main aims of the competition is to expand the knowledge of students that can be used in everyday life.

The youngest are also consumers, make purchases or use services in everyday life. Using digital tools, learners encounter many situations in which they have to think and act as conscious consumers. Therefore, it is important to prepare them as early as possible for the challenges of the consumer society, to make them aware of their rights and opportunities. Students are the merchants and service providers of the future, so it is useful for everyone to learn the consumer-friendly entrepreneurial approach in time.

With the honorary title of “The School for Consumer Awareness”, the ministry responsible for consumer protection wishes to evaluate the actions and attitudes taken by schools for young consumers in order to contribute to the generalization of sustainable conscious consumerism among their pupils, the dissemination of consumer-friendly entrepreneurship and the expansion of the practical knowledge of young consumers.

The award of the title is subject to the condition that the Applicant School meets at least 3 of the following criteria when submitting the application in accordance with the application form and undertakes to meet at least 1 additional criterion for the future.

Consumer awareness education in the framework of lessons
Consumer protection in the digital age, education for safe internet and social media use
Detecting untrue "green claims", filtering out the so-called "green-washing"
Advertising analysis in the light of misleading advertising
Using creative and innovative ways to impart consumer protection knowledge
Establishing financial literacy
Spreading a consumer-friendly entrepreneurial mindset
Cooperation with public bodies, conciliation bodies and NGOs with competence in the field of consumer protection
Participation in competitions on consumer protection
Visiting commercial outlets, local farmers' markets

The winners of the title may hold the title of "School for Consumer Awareness" for a period of five years from the date of delivery. During the period of its tenure of the title, the school reports annually on how it maintains its consumer awareness programs.