Outsourcing Childhood Education In America

The high cost of student tutoring has American parents searching offshore for economical tutors to help their children learn and they are finding them in India. These tutoring services are provide tutoring in virtually all subjects taught in US public schools, as well as, some college level courses. Many tutors even have a master's degree in the subjects they tutor. This is being made possible by the Bush administration's "No Child Left Behind Act" which encourages competition in remedial tutoring. Reviews by parents have been quite positive.




The US education system has been deteriorating for years without any serious attempt to improve and/or fix the system. And the result of this negligence is an American education system that is no longer capable of providing America's children a quality education at an economical price.

I like this as an option for parents and I even applaud the current administration for making it possible. However the fact that it is even necessary to outsource education of America's children is quite ominous for the future of America.



Related News Links:
www.tutorvista.com
www.epinions.com

[edit on 29-9-2006 by df1]

[edit on 29-9-2006 by df1]

[edit on 29-9-2006 by df1]

[edit on 2006-9-29 by wecomeinpeace]

Of course, they want to dumb the people, and it's working. Ignorant people believe their leader, believe that war on terror is working well in spreading democracy, believe that wiretapping and Patriot Act is protecting them, that Iraq was linked to 911, the constitution is a damn piece of paper, don't even know where Iraq is, crap like this.

And you know what? Under the NAFTA, something that become private CAN'T re-become public.

[edit on 29-9-2006 by Vitchilo]

I prefer they fix whats broken instead of having the parents fork out extra cash to pay for their childrens education outside of the actual education system.

And I can tell you, this problem with the US Education system isn't all that "new". From personal experience its been to bad for at least 20 years already.

From '86 to '97, I went to school both in Belgium and the US, alternating back and forth between the 2 every 2 months.

By the time I was 14, my level of education obtained in Belgium was that of someone of in his final year in the US. From that time on, I barely ever actualy followed the classes (spent my time in class sleeping and drawing or following up on schoolwork for belgium :p) and was still a straight A student, the package of classes I was following was supposed to be the hardest too.

Not to mention that in many cases, especialy for history, langauges and geography, I did pay attention because I had the oportunity of correcting the teachers all the time :p

None of the geography teachers I had during that time were able to point out on a map where Belgium or Holland were without first looking it up.

And you know what? Under the NAFTA, something that become private CAN'T re-become public.

sure it can....the same way torture becomes non-torture

can we outsource our government now, please???

I was thinking maybe dubia???

Originally posted by dawnstar

can we outsource our government now, please???

I was thinking maybe dubia???

The question is, who will take him??

On a more serious note, I think the United States needs to seriously revamp its school education system and syllabus. Especially seeing as how higher education is very expensive and out of reach of quite a large portion of the population.

I think dawnstar ment Dubai not Dubia (Dubja) :p

Too bad, cause outsourcing Dubya will solve a lot of problems for the United States


And i'd like to support the person who did their education in belgium and the states. A few of my friends when they shifted to the states went from bottom of class here to top of class there. They found it all very easy.

Dont get me worng the American higher education system is second to none, but its the high-school education system that needs a major revamp.

Just one more way to get to our children. And to draw them further and further away from their parents. I'm sure there's all sorts of subliminals in the 'e tutor'
This has new world order written all over it.

Originally posted by thematrix
I prefer they fix whats broken instead of having the parents fork out extra cash to pay for their childrens education outside of the actual education system.

I also prefer that our education be fixxed, however I don't hold out much hope. America's schools have become a place to provide employment opportunities for teachers & educators instead of a place to educate children as was intended. An educational establishment composed of the NEA, various state *EAs and teachers unions form the most powerful political lobby in the country with their ability to effectively lobby government at the federal, state and local levels. This educational cabal successfully represents the interests of its members to the government by stifling any technology which would reduce the number of teachers and the number school facilities required to teach children. So we end up with local school districts bleeding taxpayers dry with new tax levies year after year to support a bloated system.

Tutorvista is getting solid results with its tutoring program at a price of $2.50 per hour per student, because they are using technology to make the task more efficient. Each high quality tutor simultaneously can provide one on one attention to multiple student by using technology such as voip & white boards. This is not possible in a conventional classroom. This basic technology would also reduce the need for school grounds, buildings, administrators, custodians and books.

After all the dollars we've flushed down the US educational toilet, you'd think that would have figured these things out before a small indian company. But the educational establishment didnt even try to fix education and it will fight these methods because Tutorvista's method would result in reducing the number of educational employees required.
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There are so many things these days in the US (and outside the US too) that are so poisoned and deformed by money and "lobby" interests that they can't be fixed without starting completely new.

If there are enough true americans left, lets hope they go for revolution and start afresh with the bill of rights and the US Constitution as the template.

Well lobbying and the all pervasive power of money are just some of the side-effects of a capitalistic, free market economy.

But still i think there is plenty of room for reform from with the current frame work. Revolution is not required IMO

Originally posted by puneetsg
Well lobbying and the all pervasive power of money are just some of the side-effects of a capitalistic, free market economy.

I sort of agree, however it is ironic that the educational system is a socialist system operating within a capitalistic system, taking the worse parts of each. Imho it is more a matter of scale that it is an ideological battle between capitalistism versus socialism. As any political system grows it mutates from its orginal purpose which was to serve the people into a system whose sole purpse is to perpetuate itself. So it is with the US educational system.

But still i think there is plenty of room for reform from with the current frame work. Revolution is not required IMO

Again I sort of agree. A violent revolution is not required, but we most certainly do require a revolution in the how america educates its children. Clearly the US can not continue to fall behind other countries educationally if it is to maintain its economic status in the world. And US taxpayers can not continue to pour more & more dollars into an educational system that is not yielding the desired results.
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And US taxpayers can not continue to pour more & more dollars into an educational system that is not yielding the desired results.

I spent 7-8 months in Hamburg, Germany when I was 17. The German system was much better than ours in my opinion. But coming from a small rural town, my usa education wasn't the best.

Certainly our colleges and universities do fine. But we definitely seem to fall behind in middle and high school.

Well, where I want to school was in NYC, so experience between small town and big city is pritty much the same.

Interesting. In our area they are really starting to push internet schooling. My oldest child went through the public school system but I had a very active part in her education. My two youngest however have been home-schooled; one through the internet and the other will be starting internet schooling next school year. They are both tutored for free through a different school district.

When I took my youngest out of public school, the counslor had told me that the number of students that are being home-schooled via internet is climbing. Our community received a pamplet filled with information in the mail this year on schooling through the internet.

There are definately options for out-sourcing education out there, US and internationally. As a matter of fact, I think that parents are going to notice more options in the next few years for their child(ren's) education.

Again, IMO, home schooling, or internet schooling is not the right solution. They might be good supplements for children having difficulties, but they should not be the main source of education.

The scholastic experience is an important one in a child's development. It should not be left out.

We are as yet a 'social animal' and much of the 'social behaviour' a child learns, especially about dealing with peers etc are picked up in school. They should not be denied that experience.

I believe that home schooling is actually a very good idea. I am not in the best of cities, I am not living in the best of school districts, and unless the school system is given a complete overhaul, my children are being punished for being econimically disadvantaged.
My daughters both read and comprehend at least 3 grade levels above their grades. They are at least 2 grades above in sciences, and social studies, and at least 1 grade above in math.
BUT they act out, and misbehave and do all kinds of things I don't apporve of, because they are bored. I know this, the school knows this, and they tell me, well there really isn't anything they can do. And unlike my birth city, there are no mentaly gifted programs or classes for the brighter children... which is very alarming, and had I known the state of this cities education system, I would not have moved here, regardless of the situation I was in. I would have waited things out, and found a place more conducive to proper environment, social, and educational.
It has and still is the class room syllabus is geared towards the slower students. They move at the pace of the slower students, and those children that are at the top of their class get bored. There is very few ways the system allows the faster children to move at their own pace, aside from skipping grades, which then puts the child at a social disadvantage.
The only solution I have seen is to look into home schooling my daughters, and I am sure that is so for other parents as well.
They say it is if not broke, don't fis it. The US education system, ESPECIALLY for those in a leser socia0ecominic bracket, IS broken, and nothing is being done to fix it.
Patch it, shore it up, throw some shiny new paint on it, but not fix it.


Edited to add... Considering my neighborhood, the people in it, their children, and the way they are raising their children... MANY HMITs and HOTWs, I do not want my children associating with 99% of the children in their school. I have found only TWO children I approve of, and only ONE of those children have what I concider a proper household for MY children to go to their house.


[edit on 10/4/2006 by FalseParadigm]

I agree that home-schooling may not be the answer for everyone. However, what has our public school system done in best interest for our children (not their own)?

As far as social skills...well, in my area (not all areas), there are resources available that I fully take advantage of for developing social skills and keep my children from being bored. They are involved in various groups, we team up with other home-schoolers in the same grade level that take courses together, we go on field trips and they have projects that they are required to complete. They are also very involved with community outreach programs, attend some inner-city type youth events and they are more advanced in their grades and studies. They attend at least one class each semester with the school district (their local Jr. High/High School). I am also very involved with their education and seeking out new avenues of educational tools for them.

For me and my family and quite a few families in this area, home-schooling is becoming the future. Also a future of growing opportunities. The concern of home-schooled students are getting the proper schooling, interaction/social development and properly being monitored and tested is not much of a concern in this area anymore. Most of the homeschooled students are totally accredited and also monitored by the school district.

Bottom line is our school system would have to die before being reborn. It is crazy, but as parents we definately have to explore our options for our children to ensure their educational needs are being met before they turn 18 and are looking at college or they leave the nest. Unforturnately, it is going to take a lot of time to change our educational system. I for one am glad I took action regarding my children's education instead of waiting for the government to do so - they don't love our children like we do.