Schools Should Stay Public, Not Online

Thank you Con for the good topic. I would first like to assume that you are arguing against home schooling/school on computers at home. Since Con has made several arguments I will take it that arguments should be made in the first round. 1. Con makes numerous arguments that students can only gain teamwork abilities and life skills while at public schools. He also states that taking away kids from their "peers" will hurt the learning process. These statements are baseless/with out evidence or argument. Many students are hurt by their peers because of pressure to participate in drug use or criminal activity. Not to mention the social norm that is disobedience in the classroom. Many kids in public schools are more focused on their image than their grades precisely because of the desire they have to impress peers. Just because these kids are in school doesn't even mean they are "social". To be social is a choice. A student could go home and play video games or watch tv all day long with no other interaction with people or friends besides school. That being said, the notion that a social life can only be achieved through public school is false. A person getting their education online could have the same amount of social interaction as a student going to public school. Its all about choice. 2. Con argues that online classes do not compare with live teaching. A student is limited to certain instructors in public schools. Some of them may be great teachers but there is also the very real possibility of a bad teacher. A student in a public school cant help it if they get bad teachers. An online student can look for good lectures on the subject they are studying. As for not getting the subject, the student can either watch the video again and pay attention for what they missed, or they can look at another resource to find the answer. This may not be as easy to do in the middle of class while you are trying to take notes at the speed of sound. 3. Cons point about the hardship of bullying is almost funny. Bullying has been shown as a leading cause of low self esteem and depression amongst students. There are also thousands of students who were not bullied and turned out to be productive citizens. "With schools moving to online, none of these topics would be able to be covered by a computer, no matter how powerful the system may be. Public schools contain necessities that can't be obtained anywhere else."The topics con claims wouldn't be covered are all none academic. By this I mean in no way has con proved that a switch to online courses would hinder the student learning process. He only makes baseless claims that it would be harmful to the ability to conduct in social activities that may be good or bad. Students are limited in choice when it comes to public schools. Usually by their county or some type of boundary. Online students will have a variety of choice in education and what courses they want to take. It allows them to be flexible with their work and also allows them to take classes that may help them prepare for what they will major in college. There are countless online schools that offer numerous courses that can be completed earlier than high school. In closing I would like to point out that social interaction is achievable outside of public school and that it can not be the only factor in determining which system of learning is better for the student and their ability to succeed academically. This is all I saw that needed to be covered and I await Cons response. On Bullying effects -http://www.livescience.com... Online schools list of benefits (essentially what I stated while giving an example of an online institute offering high school courses) - http://www.theamericanacademy.com...