Schoolchildren branded 'geeks' for wearing 'cheap' clothing

Pupils who wear 'cheap' logos are labelled 'geeks' and become the brunt of name-calling.

A survey of teachers found that three-quarters think children's awareness of marketing is putting unprecedented pressure on parents, who give in to demands 'far more readily'.

Pupils who wear 'cheap' logos are labelled 'geeks' and become the brunt of name-calling

More than 90 per cent said brands were the top influence on what children buy.

Almost everyone taking part in the poll, by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said they believed advertising was aimed directly at children and young people.

ATL general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: 'This survey confirms the huge pressure on young people to fit in with their friends and peer groups.

'It is incredibly sad to hear how many youngsters are bullied or isolated for not having the same clothes or accessories as their classmates.

'Advertising and marketing have made our society increasingly image-conscious and our children are suffering the consequences.

'We are worried these pressures will intensify as schools look for more help from commercial sponsors to provide IT, sports and science equipment, teaching materials and food.'

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Andy Cranham, a teacher at City of Bristol College, said: 'The need to belong in groups is paramount to young learners and exclusion is something they see as the end of the world.'

Sheila Bell, who teaches in Cumbria, said: 'They need to be up to date, or they get left out and have low self-esteem.'

Tamsin Buckingham, a secondary teacher from Surrey, said that all pupils, including those from well-off families, suffered brand-related bullying.

She said: 'It is often the children who you would expect to have least, a family on benefits for example, who have all the branded stuff and tease others.'