Having completed my high school, I am pretty overwhelmed by the hi-tech systems being implemented in some schools to ease the life of the students. Schools have turned out to be quite open and accommodating for the benefit of the students unlike the past when everything was just taught from books.

When considering a virtual school, a parent will wonder if virtual schools are, in fact, good for kids. It seems a bit contradictory to monitor screen time but also places your child in front of a computer screen for their education. Also, how will a child get their work done without a teacher’s presence? Is it really possible to get an education with a computer? Are virtual schools good for kids? Yes, amid the pandemic situation kids are relying on tablets, E-learning, and a lot more but many parents have a concern that they are unable to spend time with their children monitoring what they are doing.

Students have to be thankful and grateful in this hi-tech world we are living in. I am not a parent but if you ask me about virtual schooling it does have a lot of pros and cons. To some extent, online school is an option for kids who feel responsible for their own education. It’s best for those who feel comfortable with computers as this can prevent them from going to school. But everything said and done initially parents will have to also keep an eye to guide their children and keep them on the right track.

On the other hand, if a kid does not get the hands-on experience schools provide such as social life, interaction with peers, dealing with groups of people then virtual schooling may limit his/her social development. Most importantly the social, face-to-face interaction with teachers will be minimal and a single computer for sure can’t provide everything a kid needs to grow up. The mediocre evidence makes it difficult to decipher their performance levels, and it is likely that this information will cause parents to shy away from virtual schools because they do not want to risk their child’s education.

Mathew Litty  — By email