8. PRODUCT

Product is obviously the education service provided to the pupils and is the most significant aspect of the marketing mix. Using business terms such as 'product' for education does seem rather harsh on the one hand, but in the other hand provides a distinctive framework within which to analyze our activities. It can usefully be broken down into four components: product range, product benefits, product life and product quality.

1. Product range. In the business world product range would be the range of goods and services offered to the customer. In the education it refers mainly to the nature and extent of the curriculum supported by a wide range of extra-curriculum is making the product range similar across schools, there is also considerable scope for differentiation. Some primary schools offer nursery provision or after-school care while others offer specialist computer or music provision. In all sectors, the nature of the provision for those with special educational needs can be a significant factor in clients' decision-making. Similarly, the school's particular ethos or the nature of the education provided, whether based on a religious denomination or other cultural factors can be a key factor in defining the product for the clients.

2. Product benefits echniques. Set against these princip. This is a more nebulous concept and focuses on the benefits obtained from the education process rather than the process itself. For example, if a pupil obtains good examination results but is unable to gain a job then the benefits derived from the school may be viewed as being rather than the benefits, in recent years there has a switch in mentality to a wider range of performance indicators and to output-based budgets rather than just considering inputs. In marketing terms, it is important for the school to convey the benefits of the outcomes as well as the educational processes involved.

3. Product life. It is easy to understand the concept of product life in a commercial or retail setting where new goods come onto the shelf and then are later replaced by more advanced models. In the same way elements of the curriculum are revised, adapted or radically changed. Thus is also true of the learning process, especially when considering information technology and its use in schools. In marketing terms having a vision of the future needs of the pupils and the appropriate curricular and learning strategies enables the school to be at the forefront of educational and market development.

4. Product quality. It is of paramount importance to know how pupils and parents, as well as the wider client community, determine or define quality. This quality may be perceived in overt ways such as through published test/examination results but can also, most importantly, be seen through cover factors such as school-gate 'gossip' or pupils' behavior outside school.