Sep 19, 2003: Indian techies out, teachers in
	Indian techies out, teachers in http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/EI18Df07.html By Siddhharth Srivastava at Asia Times NEW DELHI - Following on the heels of Indian information technology workers in the United States, the buzz now is about teachers. Unnoticed in the fallout of the tech meltdown, in which US workers now claim that Indians are taking their jobs, is the fact that estimates in the US put the shortage of instructors to the tune of over 700,000. And here, too, educationists and school managements are looking to plug the gap by hiring from India. The reasons are the same that doctors and engineers are sought - Indians provide quality, are hardworking, prepared to work for much lower salaries, and their knowledge of English is good enough to teach American kids. ...... ........ ......... .......... There is a flip side. A few years ago, a shortage of teachers in the United Kingdom encouraged a large number of recruitment agencies to employ teachers from India to solve the classroom crisis. Then demand dried up and the teachers found themselves without jobs, working in appalling conditions as they tried to find other employment to support families back home who were used to the largesse from abroad. Many teachers ended up washing dishes while others were deported. A typical example is Jean, a teacher who prefers not to be named. She left her family in India, found herself in a small flat in Birmingham clearing tables and washing dishes in a cafe for a living, despite 15 years' experience in a primary school and a master's degree in history. ..... ....... ......... ............. But, for now, it would seem that Indian teachers have nothing to worry about. The estimates of shortages in the US are enormous. The writing is there on the blackboard for all to see - techies out, teachers in.