[dokein]

100% agree. 100 years ago, if you didn't have access to a textbook or a teacher, you were largely shit outta luck. Today, with adequately motivated parents / students (and a moderate amount of resources, i.e. access to the internet and/or public library and the knowledge to seek things there), one can bypass these issues. One can even gain knowledge and skill that is far beyond the high-school level.

I actually wonder if the internet will magnify cultural differences over time. So the children who are motivated (whether intrinsic, parents, or culture) will get even further ahead by taking online courses, while the children who are not will fall even further behind.