The outsourcing of extracurricular activities in primary schools

This study examines major factors influencing outsourcing of services in Hong Kong primary schools. Questionnaire survey was used as a major method to collect data with structured interviews to collect views from schools’ middle managers about the effectiveness of these outsourcing activities, with particular illustrations of outsourcing of services for extracurricular activities organized in primary schools. Forty-eight primary schools in Hong Kong participated in the study. The results showed that schools outsource services from companies to (a) realize cost savings; (b) offer courses that supplement or enhance the expertise of teachers; (c) deliver a higher quality of service to students; (d) meet specific educational and learning needs; (e) ease teacher workload; (f) offer classes and activities that students desire at a price they are willing and able to pay; and (g) provide higher quality. The majority of the respondents indicated satisfaction with the present practices of outsourcing and relationships with service providers at their respective schools. Major considerations when outsourcing include service cost, service quality, the extent to which the provider replaces teacher workload, familiarity with the provider, student demand, parent demand, how provider can perform better than teachers, and selecting service providers that would develop students’ knowledge and skills.