Advertising agencies place billboards in high schools, as no law forbids it

Advertising agencies looking to expand into new areas of activity have placed billboards in over 1,000 schools all over Poland. Students' parents and psychologists are shocked with this move. School headmasters justify their decision to allow advertisements in schools with financial concerns. Starting Jan. 2, 2001 billboards will be also placed in junior high schools. "What is not prohibited is allowed. There is no law that would specify whether or not ads can be placed in schools," said Elzbieta Kielbasinska from the Education Ministry (MEN). Advertising agencies assure that they will be very careful in their choice of products for billboards and will not advertize alcohol, tobacco, lingerie and that the ads will not contain political or religious content. (Zycie, pp. 1, 4) M.M.