Teachers Ticked Off By Learndirect Sponsorship

ITV has announced that the new sponsor for gameshow Who Wants To Be A Millionaire will be Ufi, the organisation behind the Government-funded e-learning network learndirect. However, the move has caused controversy with teachers who thought to be against the Government spending what is rumoured to be £1m on the sponsorship when education as a whole is in need of more funding.

Philip Wade, marketing director at Ufi Limited, explained the decision: “[Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?] demonstrates to more than eight million viewers across the country the link between knowledge and the potential for wealth. The Government aims to improve the skills of the nation, so that Britain can compete effectively in the global economy and the better skilled people also benefit personally in increased earning capacity.”

Leaders of teaching unions are thought to be less convinced that the programme is the right choice to encourage adult learning and feel that the money could be used to support mainstream education. The sponsorship will begin when Millionaire returns to ITV1 this autumn. Learndirect has already become a sponsor of ITV1’s This Morning daytime programme, extending into interactivity when this element was introduced to the programme last year (see Granada’s This Morning Goes Interactive).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.co.uk

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