In the age of computers and instantaneous communication, society has an incredible amount knowledge available to them. That said, instead of learning with just pen and paper, why can we not also incorporate online learning into our school systems? I believe that students would benefit significantly from being able to attend classes from home because it better accommodates students, helps supplement learning for home schooled students, as well as giving students the option to take more of their desired classes online.

Online learning accommodates students with disabilities as well as students with injuries that may prevent them from easily leaving their homes. It is unfair that our education system would require that they come to school when they can learn the same, or potentially more information from home. Recently, it has become clear that online learning is feasible for an entire school. Take for example, schools in Italy or South Korea. These countries have temporarily closed their schools until April in order to better combat the novel corona virus, COVID-19. That said, the schools are still holding lessons online where attendance is taken and students are given the same education by the same teachers, only through a computer screen. If it is feasible for other nations to accommodate for their students during a health epidemic then surely we can also implement a similar program for our students during times of peace. Furthermore, we can not, both morally and legally, allow for our disabled students to receive a sub par education than their peers. That is a disservice not only to them but the moral foundation and integrity of the community as a whole. Similarly, students with mental illnesses like depression or anxiety are more likely to be productive and learn in an online setting than they are in the classroom. Offering this alternative option to these students will undoubtedly benefit in them being more productive as well as allowing more time for these individuals to seek professional help or therapy then they would normally be able to, potentially decreasing the amount of teenagers with mental illnesses in the United States and at the same time increasing the graduation rate.

A unique aspect of American public education is the fact that a large number of families choose the home school their children rather than send them to a public or private school. Of course, the success and effectiveness varies drastically from household to household but most generally follow a simple, bare bones public school curriculum with little or no instruction from a professionally licensed teacher. If online learning or video conferencing was made available to home schooled students and be used as a supplement to a child's learning, then it will benefit the student's education. Also, many school districts already offer online classes that are supervised by school staff that focus mostly on students learning the course material at their own pace. Take Generic_School's VISION program for example. VISION offers LCPS as well as non-LCPS students many different courses from English and math, to economics and personal finance. If home schooled students could join some of these courses, there will definitely be many benefits for both parties, not least of which is producing students who will advance our country and the world.

Continuing off of the description of Generic_Schools' VISION program, many students in this area feel that they can do a lot more with their education and choose to take classes online in addition to the classes they already take at school. Instead of being overwhelmed in the school building with all of these extra classes, students find it much more convenient and easier to take certain classes from home and at their own pace. Personally, I currently take economics and personal finance online using VISION in order to meet a graduation requirement for my county and find that I am having a much easier time learning the material than other students do in school. Another benefit of online classes is that they are essential for students who wish to take advantage of the fact that all of the courses at public schools are free. Many students take classes pertaining to IT and computer science online in order to gain a complex understanding of these fields and go on to major in these related fields. On the other hand, critics of online learning may say that there are public academies for students who wish to specialize in STEM careers or pursue the humanities and that it is better for students to learn in a formal classroom setting rather than from at home. These arguments do not factor in students who are not competitive enough to apply for academies, cannot afford to, or simply do not wish to attend these academies. It should not be an expectation for students who simply wish to pursue their interests to enter an extremely competitive and difficult environment for the same education that they could receive through less traumatic means. Although institutions like Generic_School of Science and Technology boost a student's resume, they are wholly unnecessary for students who just want to take a couple extra classes and maybe receive some extra credits.

Although formal classroom education has been -and still remains- the standard of public education, as our society moves more and more towards complete digitization of daily life, our system of education should also keep pace and be made to offer distance learning as an option for all students for better students' accommodation, education, and choice in their education. Since this education will last our students a lifetime, we should never falter in giving them the quality education that they are entitled to in the Constitution of this great nation.