Outsourcing of school projects

Outsourcing of school projects - Unhealthy Trend

Extracurricular activities as learning opportunities
The 2nd half of the academic year is busy season in most schools with extracurricular activities taking up substantial time - sports day, annual day, science day, model making and in some schools even the carnival. As part of these activities schools have projects to be done by group of students. Schools expect parents to assist the students. 

These projects are an important source of learnings and contribute significantly to the development of the child. This involves interpersonal behaviour, team working, planning, time management, creativity, art/craft and overall leadership development. Even if parents assist the children in this activity, children learn a lot from this exposure. They see their parents in action and work with them.

Students not getting exposure
At Making CHAMPS, when we interact with students of many schools we find that they are lacking in most of these skills. Upon going deeper into the situation, we discovered a very unhealthy trend. The reason students are not good in these skills is because they have never worked in such an environment! Some times it is the parents who end up doing these projects and for the last 1-2 years we are seeing the parents role substituted by professional agencies. 

Professionals doing the student's work
Parents have a busy schedule. It is a humongous task for somebody to take along 8-10 children with their parents to work as a team. Moreover, there is a concern that we cannot do good work as we have not made models or charts like this.  There enters the professional agencies. 

There are individuals who work on model making for real estate or design firms. There are many private class owners teaching art & craft. They take on these projects. The charge can be anywhere between Rs. 3000 to Rs. 15000 depending on the complexity of the model. For a group of 8-10 students, parents end up spending Rs. 400 to Rs. 2000 per student. No meetings, no mess in the house, no tension of coordination with other parents & children, no concern about people not working, substantial saving in time  and moreover, the output is of professional quality.

Encouraging lies
Schools do not support such practices. Therefore, when the students are asked - who has made the project? They are taught to speak the lies - we made it ourselves with the help of our parents. Instead of such activities building important practical skills & leadership qualities, it is sowing the seeds of lies. 

Questions to ponder
1. If parents do not have time, should school have such activities? If anyways the work is not going to be done by students, why to have such activities?
2. What role can school play in discouraging such practices? If a team resorts to such practicies, should they be disqualified?
3. What will it take for parents to understand that in such developmental activities, the journey is more important that the destination? i.e the process itself is a learning opportunity. If the team gets an award for a model done by a professional agency, what has the child learnt?


Eager to know the views from all the stakeholders. 

Mili and Prasanna Pahade

Co- Founders, 

Making CHAMPS - Personality, EQ & IQ development program for children

Website: www.makingchamps.co.in , Fb: www.facebook.com/makingchamps

Email : makingchampsindia@gmail.com