Outsourcing/offshoring teaching ?

4 Oct 2010

They've outsourced, or probably more accurately off-shored many jobs from the UK already, but is it possible to do so for teaching ?
Certainly it seems to be the case at one north London primary school, which thanks to the internet has put pupils in touch with teachers thousands of miles away in India.
Oh and has seen an improvement in their maths.
The pupils have been using an online one-to-one tutoring scheme - organised by a British entrepreneur - which links them to tutors more than 4,000 miles away in the city of Ludhiana in India.
But the scheme has proved controversial, with teachers' unions fearing outsourcing teaching may erode standards in the classrroom.
The lessons are booked at least 24 hours in advance, and at the agreed time, pupils log on and interact with their tutor on the screen, which works rather like an interactive whiteboard.
The sessions, designed for children aged between seven and 16, cost £12 an hour and schools - or parents - sign up for a block of two or five lessons.
All 100 tutors in India are maths graduates, are familiar with the national curriculum and undergo security checks.
They are paid £7 an hour - which the company says is three times the average wage locally for a skilled worker.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT union, says the approach is wrong. "Why aren't teachers making sure that they teach these pupils themselves, rather than go for remote learning from India?," she asks
The National Union of Teachers also criticises the idea, saying it is not the way to ensure "consistent and good quality" teaching in schools.
more info via
What are your thoughts ?

4 Oct 2010

Quote by HnS
They've outsourced, or probably more accurately off-shored many jobs from the UK already, but is it possible to do so for teaching ?
Certainly it seems to be the case at one north London primary school, which thanks to the internet has put pupils in touch with teachers thousands of miles away in India.
Oh and has seen an improvement in their maths.
The pupils have been using an online one-to-one tutoring scheme - organised by a British entrepreneur - which links them to tutors more than 4,000 miles away in the city of Ludhiana in India.
But the scheme has proved controversial, with teachers' unions fearing outsourcing teaching may erode standards in the classrroom.
The lessons are booked at least 24 hours in advance, and at the agreed time, pupils log on and interact with their tutor on the screen, which works rather like an interactive whiteboard.
The sessions, designed for children aged between seven and 16, cost £12 an hour and schools - or parents - sign up for a block of two or five lessons.
All 100 tutors in India are maths graduates, are familiar with the national curriculum and undergo security checks.
They are paid £7 an hour - which the company says is three times the average wage locally for a skilled worker.
Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT union, says the approach is wrong. "Why aren't teachers making sure that they teach these pupils themselves, rather than go for remote learning from India?," she asks
The National Union of Teachers also criticises the idea, saying it is not the way to ensure "consistent and good quality" teaching in schools.
more info via
What are your thoughts ?

And there you have the classic outsourcing equation.
Cost of lesson? £12
Pay for person giving the lesson? £7
So who gets the other £5?
'the company'...
£12 an hour, if it was paid to a UK based teacher, would mean they get paid £480 for a 40 hour week - over a 40 week working year they'd make £19,200 - less than a newly qualified UK teacher.
A perfect solution for a Tory government that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

4 Oct 2010

Quote by awayman
A perfect solution for a Tory government that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

It's ONE school, not the directive of the government. And it's not a new thing that the Tories have dreamed up.
There are similar tutoring schemes involving English teachers, and they have been around for years. Carol Vorderman is involved in a maths tutoring website, which parents pay to access from home. There's a 1:1 tutoring scheme which has been running in schools for at least two years whereby teachers give extra tuition to pupils.
My thoughts? I think it's unnecessary; parents panic when they know that tutoring is available and want to subscribe to it so that their children are 'better' than other kids. I don't think it works in general - just puts more pressure on the kids and if they are just involved in normal lessons, they won't be any worse off.

4 Oct 2010

Quote by Freckledbird

A perfect solution for a Tory government that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

It's ONE school, not the directive of the government. And it's not a new thing that the Tories have dreamed up.
There are similar tutoring schemes involving English teachers, and they have been around for years. Carol Vorderman is involved in a maths tutoring website, which parents pay to access from home. There's a 1:1 tutoring scheme which has been running in schools for at least two years whereby teachers give extra tuition to pupils.
My thoughts? I think it's unnecessary; parents panic when they know that tutoring is available and want to subscribe to it so that their children are 'better' than other kids. I don't think it works in general - just puts more pressure on the kids and if they are just involved in normal lessons, they won't be any worse off.
You'll search in vain for the bit in my post where I say that this scheme was a result of a government directive.
The OP referred explicitly to the possibility of this being a solution to teaching problems - all I was suggesting was that this government might find it attractive, perfect even. You haven't really addressed that.

4 Oct 2010

Quote by awayman
You'll search in vain for the bit in my post where I say that this scheme was a result of a government directive.
The OP referred explicitly to the possibility of this being a solution to teaching problems - all I was suggesting was that this government might find it attractive, perfect even. You haven't really addressed that.

I know you didn't say it was a result of a government directive. And I daresay that this government might find it attractive, perfect even. Just as the last government might have, in fact. However, I don't think it's a solution to teaching problems. Do you? I think that's what the OP wanted thoughts on.

4 Oct 2010

Bet some of the new Tory "Free" or "Independant school jump on that bandwagon, big time. One of these new schools has reportedly already said that they don't see the need to have fully qualified teachers to teach the children !!
John

4 Oct 2010

Quote by Geordiecpl2001
Bet some of the new Tory "Free" or "Independant school jump on that bandwagon, big time. One of these new schools has reportedly already said that they don't see the need to have fully qualified teachers to teach the children !!
John

Unqualified people have been teaching children for years in 'free/independent' schools. It's called home schooling. I think you're probably right though, John confused

4 Oct 2010

Quote by Freckledbird
Bet some of the new Tory "Free" or "Independant school jump on that bandwagon, big time. One of these new schools has reportedly already said that they don't see the need to have fully qualified teachers to teach the children !!
John

Unqualified people have been teaching children for years in 'free/independent' schools. It's called home schooling. I think you're probably right though, John confused

I have often wondered, does offstead check up on home schooled children?