In his forthcoming book, The Awkward Questions in Education, Al Kingsley (possibly the nicest guy in education) addresses some of the biggest elephants in the room of education – to quote the book’s subtitle.
One of these “elephants” is the pivotal question of whether the future of education and school is going to be hybrid – or indeed completely online.
I have had the privilege of reading an early copy of Al’s book – which comes out on April 30 – and I believe this is a question that will become a reality quicker than many of us think.
The Covid pandemic forced an unprecedented experiment in remote learning. While emergency remote teaching certainly wasn't ideal, it demonstrated that alternative delivery methods are possible – some might even say viable.
For some students – particularly those with social anxiety, geographic barriers, or specific learning needs – virtual environments offered distinct advantages.
As Al notes in his book, this experience has accelerated conversations about educational flexibility. The question isn't whether online approaches have a place, but how they should be thoughtfully incorporated.
His analysis highlights the nuanced relationship between online learning and accessibility. Virtual platforms can reach students in remote areas or those needing flexible scheduling.
However, the ever-present “digital divide” threatens to deepen inequities when students lack adequate devices, connectivity or technical support.
Any shift toward hybrid models must address a fundamental question: How do we ensure all students have the necessary access? As Al writes, education's digital equity equation is simple but essential:
Connectivity + Device + Digital Citizenship + Support = Digital Equity
The social element
Critics of online education often cite the loss of social interaction as their primary concern. Al acknowledges this while challenging us to think more critically about what constitutes meaningful social development.
Interestingly, some students who struggled socially in physical environments have found digital spaces more conducive to participation. This suggests online and in-person learning could complement one another rather than compete.
We know anecdotally that schools have become more of a social institution than ever before. With the closures of youth clubs, churches, and other community-based clubs and societies, schools are the places where “kids hang out” with friends (often second only to their online hangouts, of course!).
Therefore, are we maintaining bricks and mortar schools for the socialisation factor or actually because it fits the model for future-focused education?
Or, if we are to address these elephants in the room and confront a particularly challenging question: Are we maintaining schools as an economic tool, as a childcare service so that parents can go to work?
Al also connects the growing teacher shortage to the potential rise of hybrid models. With teacher recruitment and retention challenges mounting across the UK, hybrid approaches might offer partial solutions. Could expert teachers reach more students through carefully designed online components? Might hybrid models allow for more flexible teaching arrangements that attract and retain educators?
I have heard a number of arguments for co-working spaces where learners come to work with parents and learn collaboratively in the “workplace” – as opposed to in their own separate buildings called schools. Will this be the hybrid model that bridges the divide?
Indeed, on the Edufuturists Podcast which I co-host I have been discussing for some time the idea of a “pick’n’mix” version of education in the (near) future, where parents have more control over their children’s education, as opposed to delegating this to a government agency, multi-academy trust, or local authority.
This is similar to models in the US, which seems to be expanding its offer to allow parents access to a percentage of the government education budget allocated to each child that they can use at their own discretion for learning purposes.
These are radical suggestions for sure and these questions that Al is asking are certainly challenging to consider – but the answers may well be part of a different future for schools, education, teaching and learning.
What emerges most clearly is that education's future likely isn't a binary choice between traditional and online models. Instead, we're witnessing an evolution toward more flexible, responsive approaches that blend the best of both worlds.
As Gary Henderson, director of IT at Millfield School in Somerset, summarises in Al’s book: “The key is to use tech where it has the greatest impact rather than trying to see it as a replacement."
The schools that thrive in the coming years will most likely be those which remain flexible, responsive to student needs, and willing to thoughtfully incorporate elements of both traditional and online approaches.
- Ben Whitaker is a former assistant principal, head of sixth form and teacher of religious studies and sociology from Lancashire. He is the author of the new book, The Ideas Guy: Unleash your inner genius and blogs at www.theideasguy.io, exploring the future of education and supports organisations through keynotes, workshops and coaching. Ben co-hosts the Edufuturists Podcast via www.edufuturists.com
Further information & resources
The Awkward Questions in Education: The elephants in the room from AI to teacher retention will be published by Routledge on April 30. Find details via https://alkingsley.com/new-book/. Al also writes regularly for SecEd and has appeared on the SecEd Podcast – find his contributions here: www.sec-ed.co.uk/authors/al-kingsley