Knowledgeable consumers can participate more fully and effectively in the marketplace. The more consumers know about their rights and responsibilities as well as about the goods and services they buy, the better they are able to protect themselves, make sound purchasing decisions, and contribute to the economy. In the process of developing educational information for consumers, industry and government become more conscious of consumer needs, concerns, and interests, which can stimulate economic growth and underscore the changes needed to better serve consumers. In essence, consumer education can be the catalyst for changing individual behavior, strengthening enforcement of laws and regulations, developing alternatives when marketplace practices cannot be readily changed (as in a regulated market), and increasing effective citizen participation in the marketplace.
In an age of rapidly advancing technology, consumer education takes on an even more important role than in the past. The proliferation of new markets, products, and services through the internet and other technology, creates the potential for large gaps in consumer knowledge and understanding and thus for marketplace abuse of unwary consumers. Also, the ever-increasing amount of marketing directed at young people and children make the start of consumer education at an early age critical.
Children in a school setting are increasingly targets of advertising and other forms of marketing included in educational materials and programs. NCL opposes this type of marketing to children in schools. Any corporate informational materials or programs in schools should be objective and stripped of all sales messages that are designed to impact or have the effect of influencing the purchasing behavior of children or their parents.
The United States is blessed with a diverse population. It is to the benefit of consumers and the marketplace alike that consumer education comprehend this diversity and be structured in such a way as to ensure the inclusion of all people.
In subscribing to the principles outlined above, NCL supports the following to enable consumers to function effectively in the marketplace:
1. That educational resources be devoted to developing consumer education programs for kindergarten through graduate school, training teachers, developing adult courses and continuing education programs, and supporting community-based consumer education;
2. That federal, state, and local governments set goals for educating consumers and commit resources to implementing those goals;
3. That all providers of goods and services furnish consumer information at the point of purchase in a form that will be most easily understood by consumers, including alternate languages where appropriate; and
4. That business and labor develop and support relevant consumer information and education programs.
––Adopted December 13, 2000
