Education inequality is a challenge that the United States of America has been struggling with for decades. When it comes to the history of education in America, there have been several innovations that have made schooling more equitable. Though many positive changes have been made, there are still hurdles to overcome regarding everyone receiving the same quality of education.
While some schools in wealthier neighborhoods are able to afford a number of technological resources for students, many of those in poorer school districts struggle to obtain basic supplies such as pencils and textbooks — let alone technology such as computers and tablets.
This lack of technological resources in many schools seems to be contributing to the digital divide in several key ways. Understanding how this is happening can give one a more nuanced perspective of both the American schooling system and the digital divide.
Lack of Access to Digital Technology
Many children across the United States have access to a plethora of digital technologies, such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and computers, in their homes. For these children, while it may be an inconvenience, a lack of access to digital technology in schools does not have that great of an impact on their ability to take advantage of digital resources. Unfortunately, not all children have the same access to these various digital technologies at home.
For students whose families don’t own digital technology, having these available in school is one of the few ways that they can gain access to the internet. This being the case, it becomes clear that inequality in schools can have a dramatically negative impact on many students’ ability to gain access to digital technology, and, as a result, contributes significantly to the digital divide.
Within the concept of the digital divide, there are three main classifications. These classifications include the gender divide, the universal access divide, and the social divide. Education inequality, as it relates to digital access, falls under the classification of the social divide. As such, this example of the digital divide can clearly be shown to be a result of inequalities in the United States’ educational system.
In addition to not having access, many students don’t have an opportunity to develop digital literacy outside of school. This being the case, educational institutions that don’t offer students the opportunity to become comfortable with digital technology are keeping scores of individuals from the chance to develop digital literacy. If this continues to be the case, educational inequality threatens to keep the challenge of the digital divide strong and present for years to come.
Lack of Access to Universal Access in Schools
While many laws have been passed to make institutions, such as schools, more accessible to those with disabilities, these laws have not yet dealt with access to digital technologies. One classification of the digital divide is the universal access divide. This classification refers to people who are physically unable to utilize digital technology in its standard iterations.
Thankfully, different technologies have been developed to help make digital technology accessible to those with physical disabilities. However, many schools which lack the funding for basic materials have nowhere near the monetary support they need to purchase new forms of technology that make digital access a possibility for those with physical disabilities.
In this way, educational inequality further deepens the digital divide by not providing students with physical disabilities with the tools they need to interact with digital technology. This is extremely significant, as digital technology has become a part of normal life rather than a luxury in today’s constantly evolving world. As such, a lack of educational resources contributes significantly to the digital divide by not allowing those with physical disabilities to engage in the same capacity as other students.
Being Able to Take Full Advantage of Digital Connection
While access to technology is one barrier many individuals face when it comes to utilizing the internet and digital technologies, another significant barrier is the ability to use digital technology to its full potential. Those with lower literacy rates are less able to search the internet with ease and, as a result, cannot unlock the full capabilities of digital technology.
For individuals who have the misfortune of having to attend underfunded schools may receive poor instruction, causing lower literacy rates. In addition, the concepts that one learns in school can have a profound impact on how one uses digital technology and the internet. One may be less able to take advantage of all of the opportunities that are available on the internet as a result of having received a poor education.
Again, it becomes clear that education inequality contributes profoundly to deepening the digital divide. The worse one’s education is, the less capable one will be of utilizing digital technology. To those who believe that education inequality and the digital divide are unrelated, this fact could pose itself as a much-needed wake-up call.
Education Impacts the Digital Divide
Inequalities in education are proving to be a large contributor to the digital divide. As long as there are educational institutions without the resources to expose students to digital technology and instruct them on how to navigate this technology, it seems that the digital divide is here to stay. Though this should come as a significant wake-up call, it should be noted that many initiatives are working to overcome the digital divide. With any luck, the next few decades will see the disappearance of the digital divide and an influx of new individuals with the resources and capabilities to take advantage of digital technology.
