It is widely believed that distance learning provides access to education for all students, regardless of whether he lives in a megalopolis or in a remote village. However, a study conducted by Alexandra Hetman and Ksenia Adamovich has shown that this is not always the case. They analyzed how 85 regions of Russia survived the pandemic, and found that the massive transition to online education has only increased educational inequality.
The main problems were related to access to digital learning resources. Many families lacked the necessary devices and internet connection, and in cases where there were several children, they had to share a single computer. As a result, even at the height of the lockdown, fewer than 0.1% of school-aged children in some regions were able to study online.
Economically more developed regions with a high proportion of urban populations were in a more favorable position. The availability of these resources directly affected the number of students online, which increased 3.5 times during the pandemic. At the same time, only a small number of people in poor and remote areas have switched to online education.
Learners from Siberia, the Far East, Dagestan, and Tyva faced the most significant challenges. These areas contain numerous small settlements with limited infrastructure. In order to attend classes, students must first deal with an unreliable internet connection and then navigate a complex online learning platform. Additionally, rural children often have lower computer literacy skills compared to their urban counterparts.
Despite this, experts remain optimistic. They believe that online learning has the potential to become a powerful tool in the battle against educational inequality. In order to achieve this, students in underdeveloped regions will require specialized resources and programs created specifically for their needs and living conditions. This is the only way to close the digital divide and ensure that quality education is truly accessible to all.
