mbanzi:
The Point of the Arduino CTC programme is not just "buy a box full of hardware" but it's a complete solution based on a box of hardware, documentation , teacher training and an online learning system.
I specifically stated that I wasn't taking into account the value of the training support that comes with the package. I have no way to evaluate that because I've never experienced it or heard from anyone using it. It could very well be worth more than $2000 in itself.
mbanzi:
About the Arduino 101, it's a very powerful device
I absolutely agree. I very much welcome the addition of more modern hardware to the Arduino family but I still don't feel that the 101 is the best choice for teaching beginners at the current level of support. Earlier today the Arduino team did fix some of the documentation errors that had been reported over a year ago:
and I'm very glad to see this! There are still some other issues that I hope they will be able to get fixed soon.
mbanzi:
So yes, one can grab some chinese clones
I never recommended buying clones. I specifically recommended buying official Arduino Nano boards to support Arduino. I think that's an excellent board for teaching and Arduino's price for it is reasonable. I did suggest the possibility of buying some non-Arduino products from China and I still think that's a reasonable compromise.