It is frequently heard that the availability of abundant information on the Internet has rendered the traditional secondary schools and teachers obsolete. However, one should not prophesy the demise of the traditional schools and teachers too soon as they still offer many desirable benefits that the Internet cannot provide the students with.
It is true, the Internet is so informative that it can provide plentiful knowledge for students. However, it cannot provide students with a real school life. The traditional schools offer students the space to learn and also for fun. The various facilities make learning enjoyable as well as efficient. Students can attend a diverse range of extra-curricular activities to train their different kinds of skills and also develop their own interests. They make close friends in schools. The companionship among students and teachers guarantees teenagers an unforgettable school life. Surely, the traditional schools and teachers cannot be replaced by the Internet.
In addition, the Internet cannot replace the role of teachers. It may be true to say that teachers are not as “knowledgeable” as the Internet. However, we cannot regard the Internet as a real teacher since it does not have the qualities like teachers do. Caring teachers express their sincere concerns to students. They can be students’ friends. They can share their life experiences with them and make appropriate responses to their work. On the other hand, the Internet can only fulfil the demand of providing accurate model answers but will fail to give advice to students as a caring counsellor. It is undoubtedly true that the Internet cannot replace our beloved teachers.
Although the Internet can supply students with a wide range of information, its integrity is questionable. Web pages are full of gossips and unhealthy materials. Students may be more frequently exposed to the undesirable information when the Internet replaces the ordinary schools. The traditional schools and teachers are much more reliable. Teachers are highly-educated, and they will definitely convey correct ethical values instead of evil messages to students. It may do more harm than good to have the Internet replace the traditional schools and teachers.
Moreover, we must not forget that the majority of the world’s population live in poverty. Unfortunately, computers are out of reach for those people. It is totally nonsensical to ask them to acquire knowledge from the Internet. Therefore, the traditional schools and teachers will still be the most practical means to promote knowledge and education in the foreseeable future, especially in developing countries. Apparently, it is still impossible for the Internet to replace the traditional schools and teachers.
All in all, the Internet can provide a lot of information to our next generation, but it still cannot promise students a memorable school life and it cannot really work as a real teacher. The uncensored materials on the Internet may also affect the mental development of teenagers. We also need to consider the popularity and availability of computers in poor countries. Hence, we still need to rely on traditional schools and teachers to play an irreplaceable role in educating the youth.