El primer país que externaliza todo sus sistema educativo del que se encargará una empresa privada. Era cuestión de tiempo, no se puede decir que me haya sorprendido. Tampoco que haya sido Liberia porque este tipo de privatizaciones requieren de ciertas condiciones sociales y políticas (Chile como laboratorio, etc.). Me sorprende, sin embargo, por qué poco. Es decir, que poco ofrece esa compañía a cambio. Personas que cuidan a los niños y leen; acompañantes de un programa informático. ¿Es posible? ¿Es una muestra de la escuela por venir?
Bridge’s model is “school in a box” – a highly structured, technology-driven model that relies on teachers reading standardised lessons from hand-held tablet computers. Bridge hires education experts to script the lessons, but the teacher’s role is to deliver that content to the class. This allows Bridge to hold down costs because it can hire teachers who don’t have college degrees – a teacher is only required to go through a five-week training programme on how to read and deliver the script.
To keep tuition costs low – about $6 a term – Bridge depends on large class sizes. An ideal class size is 40 to 50 pupils, but the classes can get to 60 students. The physical infrastructure is modest too – often just simple building made of sheet metal and timber, which can be constructed in a few days. But the back-end – the technology running it all (…) relying on Big Data, algorithms, and automation of most school administrative tasks. Bridge says that this model gives poor families an option to get “quality education for their children for a modest fee”, in an environment where free government schools are often overcrowded, understaffed and ineffective.
Costes de matriculación, ahorro de costes, la infraestructura instantánea, innovación tecnológica como la solución a los problemas de costes y una (supuesta) escuela pública ineficiente. Los lugares comunes de este tipo de intervenciones. No falta nada. Ejemplo paradigmático. Al menos para quien firma el artículo.
Fuente: Christine Mungai: An Africa first! Liberia outsources entire education system to a private American firm. Why all should pay attention | mgafrica.com