Outsourcing tutors can be a touchy subject!

cars · Post by **cars** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:12 pm

OFFSHORE LEARNING "ONLINE"

I know there are some Teachers here in our Garden, so this may be of some interest to you!

An article in our local newspaper says that some students need tutoring, in difficult subjects, example, like in "Calculus". Many of these students really don't care where they get the tutoring from, so as long as they get it.

The point being they have found "Tutoring on line". Some on-line very knowledgeable tutors have been found in India, and are very helpful to the local students seeking their help! Soon it was said, help like this may become more & more common since Bush passed the "No Child left behind law". Kids in struggling schools are eligible for free after school tutoring in reading & math.

Tutors communicate via the "Internet" chat rooms, one of the tutoring countries is India. Indian firms are eager to offer services to the USA, as they are aware of a great demand for tutoring. The article said, "Outsourcing" tutoring is causing concern for U.S. teachers who have never had to face "overseas" competition.

But a perfect storm of factors exists- better technology, rising numbers of struggling schools and millions of dollars in federal aid could make education process "outsourcing" a reality! The article went on to say, that the Indian tutors put in an average of 6 to 8 hours a day, 6 day work weeks, @ about $1.40 hour!!!

It would seem that U.S. teachers, although already low paid, will not be able to compete with that meager wage rate in India.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, WILL THIS BECOME A PROBLEM FOR U.S. TEACHERS????

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:28 pm

What a great idea!!! I read your post and went to Google to do a search for on line tutoring. Lots of sites. My concern with some of the Indians is language. I know that most speakl English, but many still communicate differently than our comprehension can handle.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 2:29 pm

$1.40 an hour! Usual going rate for high school level tutoring is $8-10/hour at places like the Sylvan Center. Teacher rates for after-school tutoring range from $12-20/hour, but paid for out of school budgets, not by the students. Private tutoring can vary, I've never done that for money, so I can't say. I just stay after school like most teachers to help students with their homework.

The kids show incentive by trying to find help, but paying someone from another country-how on earth do they do calculus problems on the computer?

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 3:01 pm

Online tutors in the U.S. get $5.50-10.00 an hour, I looked it up. I get more doing Saturday School with the detentionees..................