Education Ads Shouldn't Stereotype Students Based On Gender, Appearance: ASCI Issues New Guidelines

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) updated its advertising guidelines for educational institutions, programmes, and platforms directing them to refrain from messaging that could harm a student's mental or physical health.

The education sector was among the top violators when it came to advertising in the past few years, the ASCI said in an official statement. Classical education ranked second among the top violative categories in its Annual Complaints Report 2022-23, with 13.8% of the total ads not meeting ASCI guidelines.

While current guidelines require educational institutions to back any claims they make in ads with relevant evidence, the updated guidelines will ensure that students' mental and physical well-being are also considered, particularly that of school students.

"While fierce pressure in education is a reality, advertising must not perpetuate this problem, normalise it or exploit student and parental vulnerability. Based on our Ed-Next study, such issues were identified, and post extensive consultation with different stakeholders, we are now issuing the updated guidelines," said Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General, ASCI.

What are the new guidelines?

As per the new amendments, ads by educational institutes such as schools, colleges, universities and coaching classes, and EdTech platforms and other training programmes should not stereotype students based on their gender or appearance, or portray those who score low as unsuccessful or failures.

Additionally, the updates state that ads by educational institutes must not show school students compromising on sleep or meals to study as this normalises unhealthy habits which are detrimental to student health.

While an ad may show a student disappointed with low scores, it shouldn't portray average or poor scorers as "failures" or show them as demotivated or depressed, or receiving less love or appreciation from parents, teachers or peers, the new guidelines state.

Ads must also not create a sense of urgency or fear of missing out that could accentuate anxieties amongst school students, or their parents. Further, they must not suggest that certain subjects are associated with particular genders only or always associate students with high scores with stereotypical characteristics such as wearing thick glasses.

"Education advertising touches almost every citizen in the country. Ensuring the sanctity of advertising in this sector is an important task. The ASCI guidelines address the various issues that plague the sector and we hope that the industry will follow these in letter and spirit," said Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

"I would like to reiterate that misleading ads are also a violation of the Consumer Protection Act and all necessary steps will be taken to keep our citizens safe," he added.