Although this sort of futuristic thinking seems to have disappeared with the burst of the dot-com bubble, a new report from Britain imagines the possibility of ending school as we know it as soon as 2030. The “Possible Futures” report issued by the National College for School Leadership sketches four scenarios of transformation, all of which are premised on the idea that a move from an industrial to post-industrial society that will require schools to undergo significant reorganization. The most radical scenario envisions the school as a “learning broker” hopefully more honest than my rotten stock broker without kids or classrooms (or much of anything, really) and doing little more than validating students progress as a sort of regulatory body. The report also entertains a much less Jetsons-esque hypothesis whereby schools simply maintain their existing functions while successfully implementing reforms that will raise student achievement by tailoring subject matter for individual students. Other possible futures include one where schools continue their existing functions while losing their monopoly and one in which students are taught by talking geese, like the one on that AFLAC commercial. Okay, so that last part was made up.
Meanwhile, in Canada, a much more short-term project to make virtual schools a reality has come online. Calgary, which due to its remote location already has eighteen online schools, is considering adding another this fall. The online school will have classes administered remotely, five “intakes” during the year, and an attendance requirement of being in touch with teacher at least once in three days. Not everything in the virtual school is new. The schools use both online materials and traditional textbooks as well as face-to-face tests.