The UK’s leading supermarkets were, last week, condemned by Britain’s biggest teachers union for putting “inappropriate” pressure on young girls to mature more quickly.
Tesco and Asda, the top two supermarket chains, were accused by The National Union of Teachers of targeting youngsters with products including pole dancing kits and lace lingerie .
The union was launching a report into the commercialisation of childhood at its annual conference in Harrogate today.
“This sort of thing is really inappropriate for youngsters. Society is changing, some of it for the better, some not,” said Steve Sinnott, General Secretary for the NUT.
“It is wrong to exploit youngsters in this particular way and to target these products. Childhood should be about enjoyment and education,” he added.
Mr Sinnott hit out at Tesco for the selling pole dancing kits, marketed at youngsters, and Asda for selling black and pink lace lingerie ‘including push up bras for nine-year-olds’.
The accusations were strongly denied by Asda who emphasised it has never sold a push-up bra for a nine-year-old, and that the only thing similar to that was sold around five years ago (black and pink lace knickers), but they were no longer for sale after being withdrawn some time ago.
Tesco also refuted all claims, with a spokesman saying, “The pole dancing kit was not sexually oriented and was clearly aimed at adults”. He added that the kit was aimed at youngsters wanting to improve their fitness while having fun at the same time.
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