Blogger: Eash Anadkat (Criminology with Criminal Law)
Inequality between the most privileged and underprivileged has widened due to covid. The use of home schooling to save lives has ruined a generation of education creating a digital divide in our technologically advanced era. It was found that 9% of children did not have access to a computer or tablet so they can do their homework.
Whilst many of us take common place items like laptops and computers for granted, we fail to remind ourselves that there are others out there who don’t have the ability to buy these luxuries. Whilst we may be concerned that our two-year-old phone is a bit slow, others are concerned that they can’t afford the next month’s rent.
The covid pandemic has exacerbated education inequality, whilst despite previously those of a lower socio-economic status had a barrier of entry to prestigious private schools based on money. Those same disadvantaged pupils now had a barrier to entry to the entire education because of their background.
In a pandemic which has disproportionately affected economically deprived groups with those having the highest excess deaths. The approach to use a blanket approach to educate all children through online learning which 9% of children cannot even access was a poor unplanned decision with significant repercussions for those already disadvantaged.