Emergency plans for virtual schools and "homework by post" have been drafted in case a decision is taken to close all schools because of swine flu.
With 100,000 new cases in a week, officials in England have considered extending the school summer holidays to try to limit the spread of the virus before a vaccine is widely available.
This might be a sensible idea. Children are super carriers of viruses of all kinds, ask any teacher. Scientists at Imperial College London think that closing schools this autumn would curb the spread of swine flu cases, thus reducing the costs in terms of disruption and impact on business and essential services.
So we could be seeing virtual schools on virtual land staffed by virtual teachers and filled with virtual students. No more excuses of "the dog ate my homework", but maybe a few new ones; "my cat pressed the delete key".
(I never went to a virtual school, but I received a virtual education. Oooh the lies they told!)