Governments abandon students
As summer came to a close in 2020, millions of students worldwide prepared to go back to school, whether in-person, online, or some blend of the two. However, when the first bell rings, millions of students were absent from their classes, left behind with no way to log onto virtual instruction. In a world where the importance of the right to education is well-established across leading nations, the impacts of COVID-19 have made this right a privilege reserved only for those with consistent and comprehensive access to technology and the internet. This lack of access only further expands the gap between social classes as those with the fewest resources and opportunities lose their chance to benefit from what is supposed to be the great equalizer - education.
The situation is likely worse than previous estimates suggest. A recently released UNICEF report found that “At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – were unable to access remote learning” after schools closed worldwide in response to the pandemic. Many of these students and their families cannot afford a computer or WiFi, which have become a prerequisite to access most learning opportunities. Even when families have access to a computer or the internet, technology may have to be shared between siblings or the connection may not be strong enough to support multiple students, especially if a parent also needs internet access while working from home. Internet access is often inconsistently available in rural and lesser developed areas, creating yet another barrier to accessing education. Additionally, while significant inequality in education access was found to be present worldwide, the region that has been the most severely affected is Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated that at least half of all students are not reached through online learning.
Lack of internet access is a problem that will persist long after schools re-open. The same UNICEF report also found that the most affected age group is pre-primary students, 70% of which are currently not being reached. Young students are missing out on learning the crucial foundations that will set them up for academic success for the rest of their lives. What’s more, it’s not that all students will be behind, but that generally low-income students who are already disadvantaged by the education system from the start will be further behind, with limited means available to catch up once schools can fully reopen.
This education deficit is nothing new, but it is significantly exacerbated within the status quo. According to Human Rights Watch , there has long been “a shortfall between the educational reality that children experience around the world and what governments have promised and committed to through human rights treaties.” COVID-19 has only further limited access to education with few attempts by governments to help students currently left behind. This issue is all occurring today in spite of the commitments made by nations worldwide to protect the right to an education. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasizes that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “[imposes] an immediate obligation to take appropriate steps towards the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights [including the right to education]. A lack of resources, or periods of economic crisis, cannot justify inaction, retrogression in implementation or indefinite postponement of measures to implement these rights.” Based on commitments made on the international level, countries have little excuse for abandoning these students.
For many, education provides the opportunity for a leg up, a chance to grab the first rung on the ladder of social mobility, and take the first step towards a better future. Without consistent access to technology and the internet, a generation of low income students will be left behind, further reinforcing classism and limiting opportunities for social advancement in the long run. It is clear that in this new COVID dominated world, technology is a necessity and those without it will continue to be left behind long after the virus is contained. It is up to governments to live up to their commitments to their citizens and to bridge the gap between those who can and can’t access online learning.
Regional and Racial Disparities
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, remote learning has become our primary mode of education. However, students find that remote learning is not an equitable system. Remote learning makes existing educational inequality worse. This system has created a significant achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic statuses, as wealthier students are able to access more resources whereas poorer families may not even have the technology for learners to regularly attend classes. Additionally, the new mode of learning has exacerbated many other forms of educational inequality, especially when considering racially and regionally-based prohibitive factors.
Remote learning is difficult for everyone, but significantly more so for the economically disadvantaged. A wealthy student attending a private school will have high speed internet and high-quality technology. They may be given hours of live instruction by their teachers daily, as mandated by their schools. Their parents may work from home, so they have access to help should they need it. This student would not have fallen behind academically at all. But for an economically disadvantaged student, schooling would look very different. They may have a much poorer internet connection that makes participating in class difficult. There might not be live instruction, as the majority of public schools have not mandated it. Their technology may be old and difficult to use. Their teachers might not be trained in using technology. Their parents could be essential workers, meaning they are unable to get help at home. In some high poverty households, families cannot afford an internet connection, preventing children from attending school. This student probably fell behind greatly, even losing a full year’s worth of progress. An analysis of school districts showed that only ⅕ were required to provide any live instruction, but wealthy districts were doubly likely to do so. Almost ⅓ of low income students will not be able to sufficiently participate in online education. Other research found that progress in math decreased by approximately ½ in classrooms in low income zip codes, but not at all in high-income zip codes, highlighting the wealth disparity in education. Education in the United States has always been capitalist, with privileged families able to buy their children a better education; remote learning has poignantly exacerbated this problem.
Socioeconomic inequality is not the only form of educational inequity that remote learning has intensified. Remote learning has also exacerbated racial inequality. Research has shown that the average student is expected to have fallen seven months behind in school, but for Latino students, it was nine months, and for Black students, ten. Systemic racism is pervasive in our society, but remote learning has worsened its impact, and placed Black and Latino students at even more of a disadvantage. Additionally, the American system of localized education has forced every school district to individually create their own guidelines regarding online education, creating significant regional differences. Poorer areas of the nation are less able to adequately provide education for their students, creating regional inequality. Another way education has become more unequal is for special needs students. Many students with special needs, such as those on the autistic spectrum, are unable to learn effectively online, making them fall behind.
As most school districts are preparing to begin the coming school year online, many hope that issues with remote learning will have been resolved by now, creating a more equitable learning environment for all students. However, many of these problems indicate larger issues with our society, and cannot be fixed by schools alone. Schools have not made significant progress in resolving problems this summer, and most of these issues will persist. Inequality that has been compounded over decades cannot be solved in a few months, and our nation will need to work together to make any progress towards ending educational inequity.
As summer came to a close in 2020, millions of students worldwide prepared to go back to school, whether in-person, online, or some blend of the two. However, when the first bell rings, millions of students were absent from their classes, left behind with no way to log onto virtual instruction. In a world where the importance of the right to education is well-established across leading nations, the impacts of COVID-19 have made this right a privilege reserved only for those with consistent and comprehensive access to technology and the internet. This lack of access only further expands the gap between social classes as those with the fewest resources and opportunities lose their chance to benefit from what is supposed to be the great equalizer - education.
The situation is likely worse than previous estimates suggest. A recently released UNICEF report found that “At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – were unable to access remote learning” after schools closed worldwide in response to the pandemic. Many of these students and their families cannot afford a computer or WiFi, which have become a prerequisite to access most learning opportunities. Even when families have access to a computer or the internet, technology may have to be shared between siblings or the connection may not be strong enough to support multiple students, especially if a parent also needs internet access while working from home. Internet access is often inconsistently available in rural and lesser developed areas, creating yet another barrier to accessing education. Additionally, while significant inequality in education access was found to be present worldwide, the region that has been the most severely affected is Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated that at least half of all students are not reached through online learning.
Lack of internet access is a problem that will persist long after schools re-open. The same UNICEF report also found that the most affected age group is pre-primary students, 70% of which are currently not being reached. Young students are missing out on learning the crucial foundations that will set them up for academic success for the rest of their lives. What’s more, it’s not that all students will be behind, but that generally low-income students who are already disadvantaged by the education system from the start will be further behind, with limited means available to catch up once schools can fully reopen.
This education deficit is nothing new, but it is significantly exacerbated within the status quo. According to Human Rights Watch , there has long been “a shortfall between the educational reality that children experience around the world and what governments have promised and committed to through human rights treaties.” COVID-19 has only further limited access to education with few attempts by governments to help students currently left behind. This issue is all occurring today in spite of the commitments made by nations worldwide to protect the right to an education. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasizes that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “[imposes] an immediate obligation to take appropriate steps towards the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights [including the right to education]. A lack of resources, or periods of economic crisis, cannot justify inaction, retrogression in implementation or indefinite postponement of measures to implement these rights.” Based on commitments made on the international level, countries have little excuse for abandoning these students.
For many, education provides the opportunity for a leg up, a chance to grab the first rung on the ladder of social mobility, and take the first step towards a better future. Without consistent access to technology and the internet, a generation of low income students will be left behind, further reinforcing classism and limiting opportunities for social advancement in the long run. It is clear that in this new COVID dominated world, technology is a necessity and those without it will continue to be left behind long after the virus is contained. It is up to governments to live up to their commitments to their citizens and to bridge the gap between those who can and can’t access online learning.
Regional and Racial Disparities
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, remote learning has become our primary mode of education. However, students find that remote learning is not an equitable system. Remote learning makes existing educational inequality worse. This system has created a significant achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic statuses, as wealthier students are able to access more resources whereas poorer families may not even have the technology for learners to regularly attend classes. Additionally, the new mode of learning has exacerbated many other forms of educational inequality, especially when considering racially and regionally-based prohibitive factors.
Remote learning is difficult for everyone, but significantly more so for the economically disadvantaged. A wealthy student attending a private school will have high speed internet and high-quality technology. They may be given hours of live instruction by their teachers daily, as mandated by their schools. Their parents may work from home, so they have access to help should they need it. This student would not have fallen behind academically at all. But for an economically disadvantaged student, schooling would look very different. They may have a much poorer internet connection that makes participating in class difficult. There might not be live instruction, as the majority of public schools have not mandated it. Their technology may be old and difficult to use. Their teachers might not be trained in using technology. Their parents could be essential workers, meaning they are unable to get help at home. In some high poverty households, families cannot afford an internet connection, preventing children from attending school. This student probably fell behind greatly, even losing a full year’s worth of progress. An analysis of school districts showed that only ⅕ were required to provide any live instruction, but wealthy districts were doubly likely to do so. Almost ⅓ of low income students will not be able to sufficiently participate in online education. Other research found that progress in math decreased by approximately ½ in classrooms in low income zip codes, but not at all in high-income zip codes, highlighting the wealth disparity in education. Education in the United States has always been capitalist, with privileged families able to buy their children a better education; remote learning has poignantly exacerbated this problem.
Socioeconomic inequality is not the only form of educational inequity that remote learning has intensified. Remote learning has also exacerbated racial inequality. Research has shown that the average student is expected to have fallen seven months behind in school, but for Latino students, it was nine months, and for Black students, ten. Systemic racism is pervasive in our society, but remote learning has worsened its impact, and placed Black and Latino students at even more of a disadvantage. Additionally, the American system of localized education has forced every school district to individually create their own guidelines regarding online education, creating significant regional differences. Poorer areas of the nation are less able to adequately provide education for their students, creating regional inequality. Another way education has become more unequal is for special needs students. Many students with special needs, such as those on the autistic spectrum, are unable to learn effectively online, making them fall behind.
As most school districts are preparing to begin the coming school year online, many hope that issues with remote learning will have been resolved by now, creating a more equitable learning environment for all students. However, many of these problems indicate larger issues with our society, and cannot be fixed by schools alone. Schools have not made significant progress in resolving problems this summer, and most of these issues will persist. Inequality that has been compounded over decades cannot be solved in a few months, and our nation will need to work together to make any progress towards ending educational inequity.
Governments abandon students
As summer came to a close in 2020, millions of students worldwide prepared to go back to school, whether in-person, online, or some blend of the two. However, when the first bell rings, millions of students were absent from their classes, left behind with no way to log onto virtual instruction. In a world where the importance of the right to education is well-established across leading nations, the impacts of COVID-19 have made this right a privilege reserved only for those with consistent and comprehensive access to technology and the internet. This lack of access only further expands the gap between social classes as those with the fewest resources and opportunities lose their chance to benefit from what is supposed to be the great equalizer - education.
The situation is likely worse than previous estimates suggest. A recently released UNICEF report found that “At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – were unable to access remote learning” after schools closed worldwide in response to the pandemic. Many of these students and their families cannot afford a computer or WiFi, which have become a prerequisite to access most learning opportunities. Even when families have access to a computer or the internet, technology may have to be shared between siblings or the connection may not be strong enough to support multiple students, especially if a parent also needs internet access while working from home. Internet access is often inconsistently available in rural and lesser developed areas, creating yet another barrier to accessing education. Additionally, while significant inequality in education access was found to be present worldwide, the region that has been the most severely affected is Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated that at least half of all students are not reached through online learning.
Lack of internet access is a problem that will persist long after schools re-open. The same UNICEF report also found that the most affected age group is pre-primary students, 70% of which are currently not being reached. Young students are missing out on learning the crucial foundations that will set them up for academic success for the rest of their lives. What’s more, it’s not that all students will be behind, but that generally low-income students who are already disadvantaged by the education system from the start will be further behind, with limited means available to catch up once schools can fully reopen.
This education deficit is nothing new, but it is significantly exacerbated within the status quo. According to Human Rights Watch , there has long been “a shortfall between the educational reality that children experience around the world and what governments have promised and committed to through human rights treaties.” COVID-19 has only further limited access to education with few attempts by governments to help students currently left behind. This issue is all occurring today in spite of the commitments made by nations worldwide to protect the right to an education. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasizes that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “[imposes] an immediate obligation to take appropriate steps towards the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights [including the right to education]. A lack of resources, or periods of economic crisis, cannot justify inaction, retrogression in implementation or indefinite postponement of measures to implement these rights.” Based on commitments made on the international level, countries have little excuse for abandoning these students.
For many, education provides the opportunity for a leg up, a chance to grab the first rung on the ladder of social mobility, and take the first step towards a better future. Without consistent access to technology and the internet, a generation of low income students will be left behind, further reinforcing classism and limiting opportunities for social advancement in the long run. It is clear that in this new COVID dominated world, technology is a necessity and those without it will continue to be left behind long after the virus is contained. It is up to governments to live up to their commitments to their citizens and to bridge the gap between those who can and can’t access online learning.
Regional and Racial Disparities
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, remote learning has become our primary mode of education. However, students find that remote learning is not an equitable system. Remote learning makes existing educational inequality worse. This system has created a significant achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic statuses, as wealthier students are able to access more resources whereas poorer families may not even have the technology for learners to regularly attend classes. Additionally, the new mode of learning has exacerbated many other forms of educational inequality, especially when considering racially and regionally-based prohibitive factors.
Remote learning is difficult for everyone, but significantly more so for the economically disadvantaged. A wealthy student attending a private school will have high speed internet and high-quality technology. They may be given hours of live instruction by their teachers daily, as mandated by their schools. Their parents may work from home, so they have access to help should they need it. This student would not have fallen behind academically at all. But for an economically disadvantaged student, schooling would look very different. They may have a much poorer internet connection that makes participating in class difficult. There might not be live instruction, as the majority of public schools have not mandated it. Their technology may be old and difficult to use. Their teachers might not be trained in using technology. Their parents could be essential workers, meaning they are unable to get help at home. In some high poverty households, families cannot afford an internet connection, preventing children from attending school. This student probably fell behind greatly, even losing a full year’s worth of progress. An analysis of school districts showed that only ⅕ were required to provide any live instruction, but wealthy districts were doubly likely to do so. Almost ⅓ of low income students will not be able to sufficiently participate in online education. Other research found that progress in math decreased by approximately ½ in classrooms in low income zip codes, but not at all in high-income zip codes, highlighting the wealth disparity in education. Education in the United States has always been capitalist, with privileged families able to buy their children a better education; remote learning has poignantly exacerbated this problem.
Socioeconomic inequality is not the only form of educational inequity that remote learning has intensified. Remote learning has also exacerbated racial inequality. Research has shown that the average student is expected to have fallen seven months behind in school, but for Latino students, it was nine months, and for Black students, ten. Systemic racism is pervasive in our society, but remote learning has worsened its impact, and placed Black and Latino students at even more of a disadvantage. Additionally, the American system of localized education has forced every school district to individually create their own guidelines regarding online education, creating significant regional differences. Poorer areas of the nation are less able to adequately provide education for their students, creating regional inequality. Another way education has become more unequal is for special needs students. Many students with special needs, such as those on the autistic spectrum, are unable to learn effectively online, making them fall behind.
As most school districts are preparing to begin the coming school year online, many hope that issues with remote learning will have been resolved by now, creating a more equitable learning environment for all students. However, many of these problems indicate larger issues with our society, and cannot be fixed by schools alone. Schools have not made significant progress in resolving problems this summer, and most of these issues will persist. Inequality that has been compounded over decades cannot be solved in a few months, and our nation will need to work together to make any progress towards ending educational inequity.
As summer came to a close in 2020, millions of students worldwide prepared to go back to school, whether in-person, online, or some blend of the two. However, when the first bell rings, millions of students were absent from their classes, left behind with no way to log onto virtual instruction. In a world where the importance of the right to education is well-established across leading nations, the impacts of COVID-19 have made this right a privilege reserved only for those with consistent and comprehensive access to technology and the internet. This lack of access only further expands the gap between social classes as those with the fewest resources and opportunities lose their chance to benefit from what is supposed to be the great equalizer - education.
The situation is likely worse than previous estimates suggest. A recently released UNICEF report found that “At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – were unable to access remote learning” after schools closed worldwide in response to the pandemic. Many of these students and their families cannot afford a computer or WiFi, which have become a prerequisite to access most learning opportunities. Even when families have access to a computer or the internet, technology may have to be shared between siblings or the connection may not be strong enough to support multiple students, especially if a parent also needs internet access while working from home. Internet access is often inconsistently available in rural and lesser developed areas, creating yet another barrier to accessing education. Additionally, while significant inequality in education access was found to be present worldwide, the region that has been the most severely affected is Sub-Saharan Africa, where it is estimated that at least half of all students are not reached through online learning.
Lack of internet access is a problem that will persist long after schools re-open. The same UNICEF report also found that the most affected age group is pre-primary students, 70% of which are currently not being reached. Young students are missing out on learning the crucial foundations that will set them up for academic success for the rest of their lives. What’s more, it’s not that all students will be behind, but that generally low-income students who are already disadvantaged by the education system from the start will be further behind, with limited means available to catch up once schools can fully reopen.
This education deficit is nothing new, but it is significantly exacerbated within the status quo. According to Human Rights Watch , there has long been “a shortfall between the educational reality that children experience around the world and what governments have promised and committed to through human rights treaties.” COVID-19 has only further limited access to education with few attempts by governments to help students currently left behind. This issue is all occurring today in spite of the commitments made by nations worldwide to protect the right to an education. The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasizes that the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights “[imposes] an immediate obligation to take appropriate steps towards the full realization of economic, social and cultural rights [including the right to education]. A lack of resources, or periods of economic crisis, cannot justify inaction, retrogression in implementation or indefinite postponement of measures to implement these rights.” Based on commitments made on the international level, countries have little excuse for abandoning these students.
For many, education provides the opportunity for a leg up, a chance to grab the first rung on the ladder of social mobility, and take the first step towards a better future. Without consistent access to technology and the internet, a generation of low income students will be left behind, further reinforcing classism and limiting opportunities for social advancement in the long run. It is clear that in this new COVID dominated world, technology is a necessity and those without it will continue to be left behind long after the virus is contained. It is up to governments to live up to their commitments to their citizens and to bridge the gap between those who can and can’t access online learning.
Regional and Racial Disparities
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, remote learning has become our primary mode of education. However, students find that remote learning is not an equitable system. Remote learning makes existing educational inequality worse. This system has created a significant achievement gap between students of different socioeconomic statuses, as wealthier students are able to access more resources whereas poorer families may not even have the technology for learners to regularly attend classes. Additionally, the new mode of learning has exacerbated many other forms of educational inequality, especially when considering racially and regionally-based prohibitive factors.
Remote learning is difficult for everyone, but significantly more so for the economically disadvantaged. A wealthy student attending a private school will have high speed internet and high-quality technology. They may be given hours of live instruction by their teachers daily, as mandated by their schools. Their parents may work from home, so they have access to help should they need it. This student would not have fallen behind academically at all. But for an economically disadvantaged student, schooling would look very different. They may have a much poorer internet connection that makes participating in class difficult. There might not be live instruction, as the majority of public schools have not mandated it. Their technology may be old and difficult to use. Their teachers might not be trained in using technology. Their parents could be essential workers, meaning they are unable to get help at home. In some high poverty households, families cannot afford an internet connection, preventing children from attending school. This student probably fell behind greatly, even losing a full year’s worth of progress. An analysis of school districts showed that only ⅕ were required to provide any live instruction, but wealthy districts were doubly likely to do so. Almost ⅓ of low income students will not be able to sufficiently participate in online education. Other research found that progress in math decreased by approximately ½ in classrooms in low income zip codes, but not at all in high-income zip codes, highlighting the wealth disparity in education. Education in the United States has always been capitalist, with privileged families able to buy their children a better education; remote learning has poignantly exacerbated this problem.
Socioeconomic inequality is not the only form of educational inequity that remote learning has intensified. Remote learning has also exacerbated racial inequality. Research has shown that the average student is expected to have fallen seven months behind in school, but for Latino students, it was nine months, and for Black students, ten. Systemic racism is pervasive in our society, but remote learning has worsened its impact, and placed Black and Latino students at even more of a disadvantage. Additionally, the American system of localized education has forced every school district to individually create their own guidelines regarding online education, creating significant regional differences. Poorer areas of the nation are less able to adequately provide education for their students, creating regional inequality. Another way education has become more unequal is for special needs students. Many students with special needs, such as those on the autistic spectrum, are unable to learn effectively online, making them fall behind.
As most school districts are preparing to begin the coming school year online, many hope that issues with remote learning will have been resolved by now, creating a more equitable learning environment for all students. However, many of these problems indicate larger issues with our society, and cannot be fixed by schools alone. Schools have not made significant progress in resolving problems this summer, and most of these issues will persist. Inequality that has been compounded over decades cannot be solved in a few months, and our nation will need to work together to make any progress towards ending educational inequity.
