Could Netflix Cure at Home Education Woes?

For the infrequent times that I've binged watched a Netflix series, characters get mixed up, and the storyline is blurry. I don't enjoy it, but if you want to keep up with today's cultural attachés, you have no choice. As so, they say.

In mid-March '20, when the early brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic was wreaking havoc across North America, I was left bemused on how our K-12 educational system was in demise—failing our children, teachers, and parents. It became apparent that many were ill-prepared. It is my opinion that we collectively failed on three key points: the lack of digitized K-12 content for a full curriculum, a delivery platform, and an engagement mechanism to get children to participate consistently. There is likely a fourth key point; we shifted the burden of schooling to working parents. Individuals in the early stages of adjusting to working from home and trying their best to adapt to a new routine. All the while laying the groundwork for a structured learning environment. Not easy, considering that some children don't learn well outside of the classroom.

What discourages me the most about this problem is when you take a hard look at the socioeconomic realities. One being, that impoverished families who can't afford the necessities for homeschooling will suffer the most. The harsh realities of the future will be that the educational gap will widen between the social classes, leaving many individuals behind for generations to come. There has to be a solution to this problem.

At some point in April, I was aimlessly scrolling through titles on Netflix and stumbled on a series titled "Coronavirus Explained." I realized, Netflix is using its reach and ability to program original content to educate the masses on a real-time relevant subject. Interesting. That's when it hit me. Why doesn't Netflix partner with a group of K-12 content publishers to solve this very problem? As I write this blog post, Netflix has reached 183 million subscribers worldwide. They can spin-up creative content and deliver it through their sophisticated omnichannel platform. To minimize the complications of the K-12 curriculum and the dynamics of educating children, Netflix could pull in some of the larger school boards and or government taskforce. I realize that this is not easy, but I believe it is a better option considering what children are facing.

Netflix's investment in high-quality content across all genres will likely help it cement the top position in the living room. Why not the classroom?

What do you think? How would you solve this problem?

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