Thirty years ago, as a very young teacher working in a York secondary school, I took the class of a domestic science teacher who was ill.

Her lesson notes said: “Hand out the information brochures from British Sugar.” I declined to and later told the teacher why. Next day I was hauled over the coals by the head teacher. I felt then and feel now that schools have a duty to protect children from the pressures of the market place, especially since the commercial interests who most want access to our children are usually the ones with the least healthy products.

I have read in The Press that more than 1,000 York primary schoolchildren took part in a competition organised by a car manufacturer.

Staff and winning pupil were pictured with the car in question.

This is the opposite of what education should be about. Young minds cannot discriminate, or understand that they are being manipulated.

Our schools are bombarded with such schemes from clever marketeers, and it is teachers’ professional duty to protect, not to endorse.

Jim McGurn, Poppleton, York.