Most people understand that it is essential to go to high school as a young person. High school is where you learn a great deal of practical information that should serve you well as you approach adulthood. It is also the continuation of the subjects that you should have been learning in middle school and the lower grades.
However, these days, there is the possibility of attending online high school classes instead of the traditional in-person ones. Is that the best idea, though? Some parents, teachers, and even students think it is. It’s worth talking about, so let’s do so right now.
Some Benefits of Online High School Classes
Going to school in person was the only viable option for many years. There was always homeschooling, but most parents didn’t have the time or inclination to do that.
Now, though, many high schools have begun offering online classes instead of the old-fashioned in-person ones. If you’re the parent of a teenager who needs to go to high school, maybe you’re concerned because of the rise of school shootings. Your teen can avoid that if they stay at home and learn.
If high schoolers learn from home, they can also sleep in longer. They can wake up at a more leisurely pace, and they don’t have to commute to get to their classes.
There is also no chance of your teenager being bullied if they attend an online high school. It’s true that they can be targeted on social media, but they can always disengage from a platform if that happens.
Some Potential Drawbacks
There are some potential drawbacks that are worth mentioning, though. For instance, if your teen doesn’t attend high school in person, it will probably be more difficult for them to make friends. They will not become as socialized, and they may feel isolated and lonely.
They might also struggle to learn their lessons this way. Presumably, it’s more difficult to make sure they’re really paying attention if the teacher is not there in the room with them. The instructor can’t gently remind them to listen to what they’re teaching. The student’s test scores and overall grades might start to reflect their unwillingness or inability to engage with the material.
Is Online High School the Best Thing for Your Teenager?
Just like virtually any form of teaching and learning, there are both benefits and possible drawbacks if you allow a student to try to learn this way. You must weigh each side of the argument carefully before making a decision.
It’s true that you can always let your child try learning from home to see if they like it. Maybe it will be the best thing for them, particularly if they’re being bullied or they’re antisocial.
If you find that they’re not learning the material as diligently as you would like, you can always compel them to go back to in-person high school. It doesn’t seem likely that the learn-from-home model will completely eliminate in-person schooling anytime soon.
