Most students have, at one point or another in their time in school, likely wished they were homeschooled. However, it may not have been possible for that to happen due to family issues, work times, or financial limitations. But now, some schools offer "distance learning"--a way for students to get the same instruction from their own home. This could be extremely beneficial in allowing students with certain problems to obtain the same education as others.

If, for instance, a student has some sort of social anxiety or stress-related medical condition, being able to attend classes from home would make it much less likely that they would have some sort of episode. They would still be getting the same or similar education as their peers without the stress of leaving home. Or, for a wider audience, if a student falls ill, they need not miss a day of education, instead still being able to recieve instruction without the fear of spreading sickness to others. Both of these instances are fairly specific, but still can show how "distance learning" can help students more than regular class time. This type of teaching could also be beneficial to the parents of students; if a perent wanted for their child to be homeschooled but didn't have the time or finances to allow that full-time, the online councilling would make homeschooling much simpler and potentially cheaper. Or if a parent has no way to transport their child to and from school, for instance if they live too far away for a walk to be reasonable but aren't close to a bus route and the parent or parents must leave for work early in the morning, the online learning cuts out the need for travel and transportation.

However, there is the issue of distraction. Surely a student left to learn at home with no teacher physically present is more likely to be distracted! But scool can be equally distracting for some students, and perhaps the more streamlined and simplified teaching style would benefit students with short attention spans or conditions like attention deficit disorder. One never really knows until the time comes.

When it comes to online "distance learning", the pros seem to outweigh the cons. Students who have medical conditions or who have temporarily fallen ill can continue to learn the same material as their peers and classmates without the probelems that their condition might cause them or others. Parents who wish to have their child homeschoolecd could do so without nearly so big a financial or time investment. And if a student needs a slightly slower or slightly faster pace of learning, they could receive that, as there could be many "distance classes" with varying paces or types of learninf for students who learn different things different ways at different speeds. On the whole, in this era of technology and ease, it seems that it should be very simple for students to receive the instruction they need in whatever way they absorb it best, and if their learning requires or is bettered by them remaining in their home and receiving instruction from afar, then it seems like that would be simple enough to achieve.