| Summary: | This quantitative and qualitative study examines major factors influencing outsourcing of services in Hong Kong primary schools. Views were obtained from schools' middle managers about the effectiveness of these outsourcing activities, with particular illustrations of outsourcing of services for extra curricular activities organised in primary schools. A review of the available literature, a structured questionnaire, and interviews of teachers responsible for coordinating extracurricular activities in their respective schools were used. Forty-eight primary schools in Hong Kong participated in the study. Five schools were selected for qualitative studies. Two methods of data analysis were used to analyze the results: descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results showed that schools outsource services from companies to (a) realize cost savings in a number of areas, including staff costs and programmes related costs; (b) offer courses that supplement or enhance the expertise of teachers; (c) deliver a higher quality of service to students that enhances their learning, (d) meet specific educational and learning needs of the school; (e) ease teacher workload to help them concentrate more on their major responsibility of teaching and learning; (f) offer classes and activities that students desire at a price they are willing and able to pay; and (g) provide higher quality because staff of outside firms have specialized training and can provide students with specific knowledge and skills. Major considerations when outsourcing include service cost, service quality, time saved, i.e. the extent to which the provider replaces teacher workload, familiarity with the provider, student demand, parent demand, the extent to which the provider can perform the service better than the school 's teacher(s), and selecting service providers that would develop students' knowledge and skills. The majority of the respondents indicated satisfaction with the present practices of outsourcing and relationships with service providers at their respective schools. However, no specific conclusion could be drawn about desirability of outsourcing the core curriculum, in addition to supporting services. The study is concluded by listing out a number of actions and steps schools should consider while selecting services providers.
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