Online classes can work for some subjects but are horrible for others (anything with in depth math or that is hands-on). Some students do well online and can learn as much as they do in the classroom. These are usually the motivated kids who want to learn and who have parents who help them learn.

The biggest problem with online learning is it places more responsibility on the student and parent to ensure work gets done. Time management and motivation become critical. This is a huge paradigm shift. For decades now, the primary burden has been on the teacher to motivate students, hold them accountable, and come up with creative solutions when the student isn't learning. The parents role during this time has been to take no responsibility whatsoever and bitch and moan about the teacher/school when their student fails. I know that sounds harshly critical but there is no law forcing parents to be involved in their children's education. This all changes with online courses. Yes, the teacher still has responsibilities but it is a very different dynamic than normal classes in the classroom. The parent and the student MUST take the lead or the student will fail.

In my experience, the vast majority of primary and secondary students are not responsible or motivated enough for online classes. Neither are the parents. The result is that teachers get frustrated because they give assignments that either don't get done at all or don't get done correctly, and there is little they can do about it. With abnormally high failure rates, districts have to issue "nobody fails" policies like we saw in the spring and everything becomes a mess.

BTW I'm not a fan of homeschooling, either. I know this is anecdotal evidence but I've had a handful of students who took my class while home schooling all other subjects, and the vast majority were way behind their peers in the three R's. IMO what we saw in the spring is proof that the huge majority of children are much better off going to school than trying to learn at home.

[Post edited by CUKev at 07/27/2020 11:27PM]