Offshore Tutoring - Who loses?

Creative Disruption - Why the nation should celebrate math tutors in Cochin
Thursday, May 18, 2006; A22; Wash. Post
"...If a teenager in Potomac can learn geometry from a tutor in Cochin, India, there's no reason why many other U.S. service jobs can't be done from abroad.

"...trading of services over broadband is likely to disrupt the lives of more Americans than trade in manufacturing has done recently.

"...By dividing U.S. service jobs into those that can be delivered over broadband connections (tax preparation, radiology) and those that require face-to-face contact (restaurant jobs, dentistry), Mr. Blinder estimates that as many as 42 million U.S. jobs are potentially at risk. That's almost a third of all jobs in the economy. It's also three times more jobs than exist in U.S. manufacturing.

"...The availability of $20-an-hour math tutoring may help erode the advantage that rich children have in college entrance tests. Meanwhile, foreign exporters get a chance to escape poverty; the tutor in the Post story was earning twice as much as in her previous job as a high school teacher. And the idea that any of this erodes American vitality is unconvincing. To the contrary, Indian math tutors may boost U.S. high school math scores, fixing a much lamented weak spot in the nation's competitive outlook. "

© 2006 The Washington Post Company