At first thought, distance learning may seem like an easy way out for kids who just want to skip school to not be held accountable for it; however, while it may seem counter-intuitive to allow students to decide to take their classes online, it can often times be very beneficial for both those who take advantage of the option and those who continue a traditional path of school. By allowing students the option to choose their learning environment then it lets students decide whether they learn best from the comfort of their own home, a classroom, or anywhere else. In addition, giving students the option to decide where and how they learn best allows more sick students to stay home rather than come to school because they won't have to worry about falling behind on schoolwork. Some people may think distance learning is just a way for kids to take an easy way out of their education, simply because they are lazy; when, in fact, distance learning is not only a way for children to experience different class styles, but it is also a way for students to do their part in reducing the spread of communicable diseases.

It is a common belief that the best education comes from inside a classroom and other means of education are somehow lesser than a classroom education. This may be true for many people but it is definitely not true for everyone. Classrooms are often loud and crowded which allows even the most well intentioned students the chance to be distracted by their peers. Sometimes these classrooms are almost uncontrollable which leads the teachers to stop even trying to teach. This, in turn, leaves students who truly wanted to learn at a disadvantage because now their teacher has lost their motivation to teach. Distance learning can not only reduce the physical class sizes and make them more manageable, but it can also allow students who have a tendency to be more rowdy the option to see if removing themselves from the presence of people helps them focus better on their work. Aside from the educational benefits, there can also be health benefits.

One of the biggest reasons illness can spread so quickly in school is because students feel that unless they are so sick that they cannot function in school they should come to school because their attendance outweighs the potential spread of an illness. While they may be able to make it through all of their classes without much issue, the burden now falls onto all their classmates who were in contact with them all day. By allowing students to do distance learning, this issue of attendance is eliminated because the students who are sick but not suffering too heavily from the symptoms will be allowed to attend their classes from home so they can take the day off to help prevent the spread of illness without having to worry about all the work they may have missed. In addition, this can help a variety of students who miss school for extended periods of time because of issues such as injury, hospitalization, and even some mental health issues. If these students know they can easily make up the work before they even return to school it can take one less stress off them so they can focus on whatever issue they are dealing with. This may actually result in a decrease of the length of time that students are out of school.

Many who oppose allowing distance learning may say that students who do not attend class will have more distractions, and therefore a worse education; however, these people mistakenly conflate attendance with a good education. Often times students in class who are distracted will end up taking other students' focus along with them as their distraction distracts others. Students doing distance learning they won't have to worry about outside distractions so students who truly want to focus can put themselves in an environment that best suits their learning style. Another point people who oppose optional distance learning may make is that by allowing students the choice to learn from home many will just stop their studies all together. While in some cases this may be true, the people who would stop their education when given the option of distance learning are the same people who would drop out of high school even without distance learning. By giving students more control over their education through distance learning the people who want to succeed are given more resources to further their education which is truly important.

Giving students the option to have distance learning could be extremely beneficial to not just the individuals who decide to try it, but it can also be beneficial for those who feel they need the in person experience with a teacher. It is an understandable assumption that when left to their own devices students will just quit learning all together, but this is not frequently the case. During many arguments where school systems are being called into question or policies are being added the opposition makes the argument that the change will cause an overall decrease of productivity rather than an increase. Though this may be because people are prone to opposing change so just like giving students individual computers has worked in many school systems, the option of distance learning may one day prove to improve more than it damages. However, the only way to truly see if distance learning works or not is to actually implement it in schools, even for just a year, to assess the data and decide whether or not it should be continued.