Friday, April 11th, 2008...3:27 pm
#24: Outsourcing Homework
The Best Parent Ever is better than you because they provide their child with the greatest educational opportunities money can buy. Is this because they value the expansion of their child’s mind? Sort of. More importantly, though, a reputable school reflects directly back on them. A prestigious academy doesn’t necessarily provide better learning, but it does announce to the world that this Best Parent Ever is soooo much better than you will ever, ever be.
But what about the actual, nitty-gritty, behind-the-scenes grind of actually making your kids smarter? Well, that is a task the Best White Parent Ever is happy to outsource. Literally. The Best Parent Ever can now hire tutors in India at a fraction of the price of domestic educational help. TutorVista, with teachers in Bagalore, is now offering a $49.99 Report Card Advantage Special. GrowingStars, in Cochin, India, has an introductory offer of $15 an hour — a fifth of the average price for the same kind of service in the U.S.
Of course, both offshore tutoring companies are owned by American corporations and venture capitalists, who take most of the profits. But this is also an important lesson for children to learn. Whether it’s fabricating the daily paraphernalia of their lives in toxic factories, or drilling through the impenetrable density of a child’s homework-resistant mind, all of life’s truly challenging tasks can — and should — be dumped on better-schooled people in poorer countries. Which is why Americans may be less educated, but they are twice as smart as everyone else. And the Best Parent Ever is even smarter than that.
So take that, caring parents who help their child with homework! The Best Parent Ever is shamelessly wallowing in top-school status, while Samir and Aditya in Bangalore do all the heavy lifting. Why yell at children to do their homework, the Best Parent Ever asks, when you can have someone in India instant message them about it instead.
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7 Comments
April 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Rickey wishes you the best of luck with your newfangled blog.
http://ridingwithricky.blogspot.com/
April 11th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Not all online tutoring services outsource to Bangalore. 95% of Tutor.com Direct’s 2000+ tutors are in North America.
With the vast load of homework kids are being saddled with today, and the busy schedules parents and teachers are handling, it is a good thing there are homework assistance products out there to help my kids with Algebra, Chemistry, and Essay Writing.
If you cannot afford a private tutor or don’t have the time to drop your kid off at a tutoring center, an on-demand, online service is a great alternative.
In the interest of full disclosure, I should let you know I am a client services manager at Tutor.com. I have worked here for a number of years, and can attest to the quality of this company. I have a special promotion code, which I am happy to share. Go to http://www.tutor.com/vip235 for 50 free minutes of online tutoring.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
lmao, the add running at the bottom of your entry was for university of phoenix.
April 21st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
These blogs- are you speaking from experience of being “The best white parent ever” or are you just speculating? Just curious.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:00 am
LOL I love your blog. Funny!. You upset some mummys on a parenting forum who thought you were for real which makes it even funnier! Must go now taking the baby for a walk in the $1000 stroller
August 19th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Julie,
You beat me to the punch. I am a 7th and 8th grade math tutor for tutor.com and I am a United States Citizen (born and raised) thank you very much. Also, tutor.com provides a direct service to parents who wish to purchase it, but we also provide a Live Homework Help option that students can get for free at their local library.
September 20th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Argh. I’m teaching these kids at the college level. They can’t do a thing for themselves and plagiarize constantly. Whatever happened to just getting the Cs you deserve?