Online courses can be a tough lesson

Online education may be not suitable for everyone, says an article on China Youth Daily (excerpts below).

As online courses spread, some people think China has stumbled into a new college-free era.

Online education has many advantages, not least its flexibility, but there are limitations.

Many top university online courses are taught in English, making it difficult for some Chinese students.

Some courses are set for specific majors, which may not attract much interest and online education requires a high level of self-discipline as the student is removed from the class environment. Without a teacher's guidance and supervision, some students will struggle.

On top of this, online courses are not always recognized by professional bodies.

There is no doubt that they are beneficial but they are not yet a full alternative to more traditional forms of education.