Public pressure exposes coal PR campaign to indoctrinate school children

Scholastic kills coal industry-funded lessons

By Steve Hargreaves @CNNMoney May 13, 2011: 7:15 PM ET

Scholastic says it was 'not vigilant enough' in its decision to partner with American Coal Foundation in the development of science curriculum.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Educational materials publisher Scholastic is scrapping a curriculum sponsored by the American Coal Foundation that was criticized for not explaining any of the negative effects of mining and burning coal.

The three-part lesson plan, available online and titled "The United States of Energy," included material on what energy sources provide the most electricity in each state and how that electricity is generated.

But despite Scholastic (SCHL) saying the material meets national education standards by discussing the "different advantages and disadvantages" of each energy source, no mention of the pros and cons appeared in the lesson plans.

"Lessons that are taught in schools should be objective," Josh Golin, an associate director at the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, said in an interview yesterday. "This is one-sided propaganda that's paid for by an industry."

Golin said Scholastic used its unique access to students to distribute the curriculum to 66,000 classrooms.

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