A new online program certainly makes it easy for Lawrence high school students to retake classes they failed during the last school year.

Maybe a little too easy.

Instead of enrolling in traditional summer school, 130 local high school students will need to interact only with their computers to complete their “class” work. No troublesome one-on-one interaction with teachers will be required.

Students taking summer classes from the Lawrence Virtual School will simply load material onto their computers. All communication with teachers will be by e-mail unless a face-to-face meeting is requested.

This system is perfect for the students it serves, according to a teacher at the Virtual School because “For some of the kids the very reason why they’re here is because they can’t be at school.” But it doesn’t seem they are physically unable to come to school or even have some other commitment that prevents their attendance.

“They don’t like being in a classroom,” the teacher continued. “They don’t like having to be on time or within a certain time, so I think those kids will really flourish in this kind of program.”

Yes, but does this prepare them to flourish in life?

In life, particularly when they have jobs, people have to be present and on time. In most cases, they also need to interact, at least somewhat, with actual humans, not just computer screens.

The virtual summer school may help some students graduate. They may even learn something in their self-study program, but what are they losing out on?

The recent study conducted by the school district’s Administrative Task Force on Technical Education comes to mind. Local employers were asked whether they would like the school district to provide additional technical training to prepare students for the working world. What the employers said was that advanced technical training wasn’t nearly as important as producing students who would arrive at a job on time, with a positive attitude and an ability to solve problems.

Catering to students by offering school work with few deadlines, no attendance requirements and nothing but e-mail communication just doesn’t seem to address that need.

It’s ironic that in an age where we can instantly communicate around the world, we too often are bypassing the interpersonal skills that bond our societies together and keep the world running smoothly.

Virtual school? It has its place, especially for students with special needs, but it seems like a weak replacement for the interaction and discipline of a live classroom.