Education is vital, which is why children are required to attend school. Schools are meant for students to prepare themselves for college and learn essential skills for the workplace. However, sometimes, students are unable to be physically present at school. A couple of schools offer distance learning, which allows students to attend classes from home through online or video conferencing. I believe that students would benefit from having the option to attend classes from home, because they could keep up with classwork even when sick or away and students who live in remote locations could still have an education.

The first reason for my argument is students could stay on track even when they are not present. Nearly all students have dealt with having illness, leaving for a family trip, or having other personal issues that resulted in missing class time. Because of that lost class time, a student may find upon returning that they missed out on a critical lesson. This can result in frustration for the student if they can't be caught up on the lesson quickly. With the use of distance learning, students can view lectures through online conferencing and ask their teacher questions while away, which would be much more beneficial than simply reading a textbook. Additionally, because of the growing use of applications like Google Classroom in schools, students can complete their in-class assignments alongside their classmates. I have used a similar online learning system that was greatly beneficial for me. While I was on vacation with my family, I used my computer from the house I was staying at to receive assignments, notes, and messages from my class. Because of this, I was able to return to school a week later and perform well on the material.

The second reason for my argument is students who live in remote locations or have inflexible schedules can still attend school. By allowing distance learning for these students, like my previous argument, they can keep up with their education despite their circumstances. A similar concept in the workplace is VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. If an employee is in a remote location but still needs to keep up with their company, they use VoIP calling to meet with coworkers over the internet and collaborate on whatever work needs to be completed. Likewise, a student who lives in an area that may be too far away from any schools can use online conferencing to stay connected. It may even be cheaper than having to pay for transportation and supplies at a school they can't attend easily.

Some may argue that providing students with the option of distance learning may allow them to be lazy. Because the student is not actually present in the classroom, the teacher has little control over what the student does. I agree that there are likely to be several students that would not make efficient use of the online learning system, which is why it should not be employed for every student that asks for it. Rather, distance learning should be used for the students who need it. They will understand that distance learning is their way of attending class and will take their work seriously because of it.

In conclusion, the inclusion of distance learning in the education system will greatly benefit many students. For students that normally attend school but must miss days for whatever reason, they can stay on track from home. For students that can't attend school because of where they live or what they do, they can still have an education with their peers. It is because of these reasons that I hope additional schools implement the option for distance learning. No matter what circumstances arise, students will still have access to their education, an important asset.