Is Online School Really Beneficial?

By Jacob Kim

Rowland High School

Many schools started closing from February to March, causing students to receive lectures via video conferencing sites like Zoom. It has been 3-4 months since quarantine started and students are starting to be bored. This generation has never experienced a time like this, having to stay home and online learning. Schools had received permission to start up either online school or going to school with safety precautions. It’s been about a month since most schools started. However, some districts allowed schools to open up with safety precautions like social distancing.

There are some students who like online learning, and there are those who would rather go back to school. One pro of online learning is that students have a flexible schedule throughout the week. With online school, you get less work and more time to complete them. However, although you have more time to finish homework, that also means that there are less classes available. Some classes try adjusting to teaching online, but it’s difficult to switch. Those classes could only work if done in person. Another con is that you won’t get social interaction with anyone. This could lead to students being more awkward and feeling lonely in person. But, thanks to social media, it helps keep the students to text. The second pro is that you don’t have to worry about your reputation. Kyle Min, an eleventh grader from Los Alamitos High school, talks about his thoughts of the school year so far saying , “We are using a completely new program, and it takes time getting used to. I don't like how my grades can be at risk, because I didn't understand or remember to use it. It's like learning something completely new and saying, ‘Hey if you don't learn this in like a day, your grades will drop.’" Another student, Joshua Kim, an 8th grader, states, “It is so much easier having online school in middle school. The teachers were able to still teach as if we were attending in person.” As you can see, there is a difference between the teachers from middle schoolers and high schoolers. From my experience so far, the class schedules haven’t changed at all starting from around 7 A.M to 3 P.M.

In conclusion, online school could go both ways for students. I personally don’t believe that online school is not the best because humans need to interact with others. Most students are hoping that COVID-19 is going to end soon. If you’re a school administrator, would you even consider allowing students go to school with safety rules?