18 Replies to “How Coronavirus Proves We Don’t Need to Commute”

  1. All University professors should be made to train their replacements … IN Mexico … (as my sister in law had to do for Oracle). Then take early *ahem* retirement … so the newly accredited “online facilitator-professors” can send emails and have their AI programs grade papers.

  2. The people who don’t need to show up at their workplace on a regular basis fall into one of two categories:

    1. People whose jobs could be outsourced to a lower-wage country (“if you can do it at home, you can do it in India”). This includes most teaching jobs.

    2. People who produce nothing of value to anybody in any case. This includes most civil servants.

    Farmers, miners, factory and construction workers and tradesmen have to go where the crops, ore, assembly lines and worksites are. Their work won’t come to them.

    Needless to say, the people who do all the actual work are the ones staring foreclosures, evictions and financial ruin in the face. A month-long sickie is only an option for the parasites who live off their taxes.

    1. My husband is an engineer. He’s been working from home. He’s corporate, so oversees several paper mills. His job is important to keeping the factories running, but he can do a lot of the computer work and communication at home.

      We come from a long line of farmers, so I understand your point of view. But not all jobs that can be done through telecommuting are without skill or value. We have a lot of respect for blue collar workers, like our relatives, and my husband is proud that his expertise and skill helps provide good manufacturing jobs.

  3. Well let’s see where the teacher’s strikes in Ontario go from here. Classrooms with 25 – 30 students against e-classrooms with untold numbers being educated electronically by the best educators in the world. I can see a big unemployment bump coming in the educational field when this virus really hits home. Just think of the advantages, reduced taxes, no gouging teachers union salaries, no buildings for educational purposes, no commuting to work. It’s a win, win situation for the taxpayer. I can see the Ontario Teachers Federation going the same way as the steno pool, absolutely redundant!

    1. I have posted this thought before, but it bears repeating. My father told us that when a group of workers start striking too often, their jobs are on the way out. Drywall was invented in the late 1950’s because the plasterer’s union went on strike once too often. Container shipping began in the early 60’s because the longshoremen’s union went on strike once too often. We no longer have milk men who would bring your orders for milk, cream, eggs and butter to your door. Post Offices in all major developed countries handle some parcels, bulk, unaddressed mail and the occasional letter now. (The last post office strike in 2005, caused me to receive all my bills on line and I pay them via the bank on-line as well.) I predict that there will be a severe reduction of teachers within 20 years. Not because there are fewer students, but because more people will be home-schooling or ensuring their children go to private schools. The only students left in the public education system will be those whose parents do not care.

  4. Saint Paul Minnesota Public Schools just went on strike.
    The University of Minnesota just decided that classes will all be on line due to Coronavirus.

    Why do I think this is a turning point?

    Last time I looked, about half the SP Schools students never graduated, and their achievement tests were just as poor, with illiterate and innumerate “graduates.”

    My best year in school was the one where I missed eight weeks due to repeated strep throat infections. I actually did the work and learned the material because there was nothing better to do at home besides eat, sleep, and sweat out the fevers.

  5. Well, since I had to homeschool my kids due to a grossly unsafe public school environment, they had to get grade 12 credits to continue education. They have done it 100% online, got the high 90s, and now thriving in their college and university. If they could do it, everyone can.
    Teachers will have to suck it up and shut up.
    Too bad that Doug Ford had caved in and nixed both of the initiatives. I was hoping that he would kick teachers’ butts.

    1. My children have homeschooled, but are now in a private school.

      Online schooling is best if your school setting is toxic, and homeschooling can be best if the parent has the skill to provide a top notch education. But highly skilled teachers will always be able to provide the best education if they have a safe environment and low class sizes so they can connect with the students and get to know them well.

      The problem is that most districts in our current system aren’t safe, are overloaded with too many students, and lack highly skilled teachers.

      It’s the young generation who will lose out because of all this.

      I say this a former school teacher, homeschooler, and online student myself.

  6. My son is getting his four year degree from an online university. He can learn at his own pace; test out of classes he already knows the material, study an entire text book in a week and pass the final. All tests are monitored through a webcam to make sure it is him taking the test and that he isn’t cheating. Cost? $3000 for six months, unlimited number of classes. Many students complete a bachelor’s degree in under a year, most in under two. He’ll be done in six months. And then start on his masters. Not for everyone, but for self motivated students the perfect solution. Of course, the Obama administration tried to kill their accreditation, need to protect the university elites.

  7. I’ve been saying this for years. 80% of the kids are being held back by being forced to learn at the lower intelligence levels of the bottom 20% of their peers.(total guesstimate numbers) Most kids would likely do BETTER if they could learn at their own pace online. Plus it would also teach discipline. Let the 20% or whatever that need help keep going to school.

    Huge savings on the money we spend to let far left teachers indoctrinate children.

  8. In resisting this Ontario Teachers are being very short sighted. Online learning will be an important life skill. Some of it is pretty good. If you are into academic topics, I suggest giving Yale Open Learning a try. It’s excellent — and free. Tons of other options for learning online these days, including practical skills. I think we will see more and more.

  9. Here’s some rain on your parade. Not everyone is a teacher or student. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to sit on their asses at home and “telecommute.” Just how the fuck do you expect to get goods if all those people who actually make the things you use can’t go to work? Short sighted blanket statements do you no favors. Pull your head out of your ass and THINK just how much of a disruption it will be if those people have to sit at home. I’m a cabinetmaker. I don’t go to work, I DON’T GET PAID!

  10. Nice rant from the captain.
    Quite revealing view of work.
    Sure the “service industry” can do much of its operation from home.
    Yes University is a dead industry stumbling into oblivion.
    Those motivated to learn,have a ever expanding resource growing before them.
    Those who are not,will need the government funded babysitting services.

    But the question of WORK for productive purposes versus make work hangs out there.

    Rich Vail is right,most useful work needs a real skill on site.
    The compliance “work” which now consumes more time than the actual service can indeed be done on-line.
    But who does that work benefit?
    What product is created?
    At whose cost?

  11. ya.
    and watch the ‘lazy’ gene kick in BIG time with this spankin new work(? what dat?) place innovation.

  12. Some people will have to go to work:
    Potable water plant operators.
    Sewer plant operators.
    Electricity generation operators.
    Electrical grid repair personnel.
    Fire department personnel.
    Police officers.
    Front line health care.
    Probably many more.
    Support personnel for the above.

  13. No, you can’t move all, or even the overwhelming majority of education on-line. You can move a lot of it. My son is in a flight program. You can’t FLY a plane “on line.” And no, Microsoft Flight Simulator isn’t a real simulator, it’s not even close.

    Nor can you learn to drive a truck online. Or do chemistry and physics labs online. There’s just so much in the realm of REAL physical skills that can’t be learned online. You have to DO it, not simply read about it or watch a video or two.

    yes, this will shake up, perhaps even crash the current INDUSTRIAL education model, but it doesn’t change the core reality of education.

  14. Of course the Captain is correct, mostly. In my last few years as a lecturer I prepared detailed lecture notes, which my students mostly used.

    Exams, advanced labs, handling of hazardous materials all require physical facilities. Junk students can be handled completely online.

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