NO - Professor Jim Stevenson, associate dean (research), faculty of medicine, University of Southampton
Children should definitely be rewarded for good behaviour - it is much more likely to be effective than punishment or withdrawal of reward for bad behaviour. However, the reward needs to be appropriate for the setting you are working in. If schools are promoting healthy eating then giving rewards of sweets is sending out a confusing message. It is preferable and more appropriate to give social rewards of praise or increased attention.
NO - Joe Harvey, director, Health Education Trust
Sweets as rewards for good work or other forms of achievement and excellence in schools are unhelpful and inconsistent. We have an epidemic of childhood obesity and the appearance of type 2 diabetes in adolescents. These developments are linked to poor diet and massive over-consumption of confectionery and soft drinks. Confectionary companies have no need of teacher patronage. While their aim is to make profit margins for the benefit of their shareholders, ours is to protect children's health and welfare.
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