Does outsourcing help schools? While several companies offer services such as teacher training, others thrive on providing fancy e-tutorials and equipment. But whether technology enhances the learning experience hasn’t been established yet. The teacher is the primary factor. Moreover, good innovative software is available freely on the internet.

What if a school doesn’t have enough teachers?

Technology cannot substitute  teachers. Of course, you need to enhance their capacity. The cluster resource centre in Kerala, set up under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, is a working initiative that can spur change. Each centre provides resources to around 25 schools, such as helping to develop curricula and training teachers.

What does the growth of outsourcing say about our education system?

Hiring services from profit-making companies increases school fees. It will lead to cheaper, low quality versions of services being offered for government and low-fee schools. Education is supposed to allow social mobility, reduce inequality and bring about social change, but such practices will widen existing inequalities.