Consumer educationConsumers today are challenged by growing amounts of information and wider choices of products. Tomake good choices in increasingly complex markets, they must develop a greater range of skills and knowledge.This canbegreatlyfacilitatedthroughimprovedawarenessandeducation. Consumer educationhelpstheconsumerinmanywaysinprotectinghimselffromthemalpracticesofthesellerandinmakingjudiciouspurchases.It is important to recognise and understand that consumer education means different things to differentpeople.For instance, to an ordinary consumer, education is viewed as information to help himher to makebetter choices of goodsandservices inthemarket place.! businesspersonviewsconsumer educationasactivities that assists in selling services and products. ! bureaucrat views consumer education as a programmeto complement and supplement laws and regulations that foster trade competition. They believe that healthycompetition and an educated body of consumers will ensure protection for the consumers.! consumer advocatesees consumer education as providing information to consumers to protect them fromfraudulent tradepractices andexploitativemarket operation.!ndaneducatorseesconsumer educationasdevelopment of skills and knowledge that assist consumers to play their role effectively in the market place. !llin all, consumer education is viewed by all consumers as the process by which people learn the workings ofthemarketplacesothat theycanimprovetheirabilitytoact as purchasers orconsumers of thoseproducts and services they deem most likely to enhance their well being.Consumer education is often provided by several governmentalagencies,as well as by regional andlocal authorities. "on#governmental entities, including consumer organi$ations, teachers% and parents%associations and other civil society groups, also play a major role in consumer education. Consumer protectioninvolves the implementation of measures that& prevent irregularities or transactions which have negative impact on consumers' empower consumers to exercise informed choices and select value#for#money goods and services' provide fair access to basic goods and services and open avenues to address consumer interests andconcerns.In order to safeguard consumer interest, there are six consumer rights& Right to Safety #protection from ha$ardous goods' Right to Information # availability of information re(uired for weighing alternatives, and protection from false and misleading claims in advertising and labeling practices' Right to Choice # availability of competing goods and services that offer alternatives in terms of price, (uality, service' Right to be Heard # assurance that government will take full cogni$ance of the concerns of consumers, and will act with sympathy and dispatch through statutes and simple and expeditious administrative procedures' Right to Seek redressal # right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices' Right toConsumer Education# ac(uire the knowledge andskill tobe aninformed consumerthroughout life.To conclude, consumer education is necessary to develop living skills in the individual as well as hisherrole in society. The right to consumer education is one of the basic consumer rights. This right to consumereducation incorporates the rights to knowledge and skills for taking action to influence factors that affect thefinal analysis of consumer decision#making. Questions. !rethereanymeasures" dealingwiththeconsumereducation" that havebeentakeninyourcountry#In )omania, have been founded non#governmental consumer associations to comply with consumers%needs in )omania.Those *"+ put a lot of effort in informing and educating consumers about theirrights, giving advice, mediating complaints, making local studies and tests, campaigning in the areas offood, health, financial education and environment and others.$. %hich are the consumer rights that are not respected in your country#,earefacingavicious circle inwhichtheproducers takeadvantage of theconsumers%lackofinformationandattituderegardingtheirrightsandtheconsumers, lackinganappropriateinstructionremain only at a discontent level, not trusting the possibility of their rights% observance, which in turndetermines a low level of selfprotection.&. %hat kind of measures concerning consumer education need to be taken in your country#The real change should come from a sustained consumers% education, but also from that of the producersregarding the (uality, the safety of the marketed products, from the attitude towards the producers%sellers%disobedience for the rules in this filed, all doubled by the authorities% increased interest for the consumers%protection and a display of individual or associative civic spirit.