Read the following passage and choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct  answer to each of the questions:

EDUCATION IN THE FUTURE

Education is another area of social life in which information technology is changing the way we communicate. Today's college students may not simply sit in a lecture or a library to learn about their field. Through their computers and the wonders of virtual reality they can participate  in lifelike simulated experiences. Consider the following scenario of the future of education made possible through developments in information technology.

For children over the age of 10, daily attendance at schools is not compulsory. Some of the older children attend school only once or twice weekly to get tutorial support or instruction from  a teacher. For the most part, pupils are encouraged to work online from home. Students must complete a minimum number of study hours per year; however, they may make up these hours by studying at home at times that suit their family schedule. They can log on early or late in the day and even join live classes in other countries. In order to ensure that each student is learning adequately, computer software will automatically monitor the number of hours a week each student studies on-line as well as that students' learning materials and assessment activities. Reports will be available for parents and teachers. The software can then identify the  best learning activities and condition for each individual student and generate similar activities. It can also identify areas of weak achievement and produce special programs adjusted to the students' needs.

The pronoun "They" in paragraph 1 refers to_____________