India Southcott
In today’s education system, digital tools have moved from supplementary resources to essential elements for educational engagement. Yet, as education becomes increasingly digitised, the disparity in access to technology reveals deeper inequalities, particularly for students from low-income families. While some students benefit from seamless access to digital devices and broadband, others are left behind, unable to participate fully in online learning environments and digital resources. This divide was made especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed many schools toward remote learning but left under-resourced students and schools struggling to keep up. How can we address these digital inequities to create a fairer, more inclusive educational system and embrace the opportunity technology brings for equality, and what policies might bridge this gap?
In today’s education system, digital tools are no longer supplementary resources—they are fundamental in students' ability to fully engage with educational materials and experiences. As technology becomes so embedded in learning, the inherent inequalities of digital access, particularly for students from lower-income families, are exacerbated.
Digital inequality refers to unequal access to digital tools and internet services, as family income often determines the availability of these resources. If students have limited access to broadband and digital devices, for example, they are unable to engage with many required learning resources. This therefore serves not only to reinforce existing inequalities - but also widen them, with students unable to access digital resources falling behind.
The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the extent of digital inequality in education. The in many cases, total and unexpected, shift to online learning created issues in accessibility and educational outcomes for all students. For students without internet access at home, this was especially challenging. Under normal circumstances, many relied on school facilities and libraries for internet access. The combination of this inaccessibility with increased necessity of digital equipment was particularly damaging to educational outcomes. Meeting these demands was also difficult for institutions with less resources, with many prioritising immediate needs, such as ensuring food security for students, over technology upgrades. As a result, students were left without the necessary resources to participate in remote learning effectively.
Current Policy Landscape
The UK has several policies aimed at reducing educational disparities, yet their impact remains limited. The Pupil Premium, while providing vital funding for disadvantaged students, often falls short in bridging the attainment gap, as its effectiveness varies based on how schools allocate funds. Similarly, the National Tutoring Programme was launched to support learning recovery post-pandemic, but its limited scale and temporary nature meant it could not fully address extensive learning losses.
Although the government distributed digital devices to underserved students during fully remote education, this initiative lacked the sustainability needed to provide long-term digital equity, aside from this there are limited national and standardised efforts at curbing technological disadvantages - whilst there are examples of success within smaller areas, local governments and even individual schools, these must be attempted on a larger scale.
Efforts under the "Levelling Up" agenda attempted to combat regional inequalities, yet these programmes often rely on limited funding and inconsistent implementation, especially through changes in government. Meanwhile, while policies for students with special educational needs and disabilities offer structured support, many argue that resource constraints and administrative challenges have left SEND students underserved. Ultimately, while these policies represent important steps, a more comprehensive, sustained approach is needed to achieve equitable progress.
A New Approach
It is important to ensure that the emphasis of strategy and policy in combating this is on improving accessibility and expanding access rather than halting digitisation. Whilst acknowledging disparities in achievement and access to it, scapegoating edtech is reductive and runs the risk of losing the opportunity to expand access to technology which will be essential in levelling the playing field. Addressing digital inequalities falls under the difficult task of addressing overall inequalities in education, between students and institutions. When focusing on digital access and skills - it is possible that specific intervention could help to start creating a more equitable educational experience. In fact, this new educational landscape offers the opportunity to invest in levelling the playing field more ambitious than ever attempted before. Technology should be embraced as a potential mechanism for aiding students otherwise marginalised by the existing education system.
Policies should focus on comprehensively expanding funding, especially for schools with severely limited resources, but more specific policies in utilising technology could include:
Closing the Hardware Gap
This could be achieved through launching a comprehensive programme to ensure that all students have access to the necessary digital devices, such as laptops and tablets, to facilitate their learning. This should include not only the provision of equipment but also maintenance and technical support. This did exist during the pandemic, and is therefore possible on an expansive scale, the impacts of the move to online learning have not been lost with the move back into in-person teaching, and so the access to equipment should not be lost. Addressing the hardware gap is the most basic and essential initial step.
Expanding Broadband Access
Whilst initiatives exist in smaller-cases to ensure students have access to wifi at school and in community environments - this requires much more effort for students than being able to easily complete work at home, and this inconvenience may be a barrier to their participation. An initiative to ensure all students have access to high-speed internet, particularly in underserved and rural areas, is ambitious but would be instrumental in ensuring accessibility. This could involve partnerships with companies to offer subsidised internet plans for families.
Awareness Programmes
This could develop and fund ongoing professional development programmes for educators that focus on effectively integrating technology into the day-to-day classroom experience. These training programmes should cover best practices for using digital tools, fostering student engagement in virtual environments, and adapting teaching methods to meet differing needs. By equipping teachers with the skills to leverage technology effectively, technology can serve as an asset rather than a barrier.
Enhancing Digital Skills Development
Integrating digital skills programmes into the curriculum can ensure that digital skills are not assumed, giving students who have not previously had access to certain technologies the chance to learn. This would focus on essential competencies such as online research, digital communication, and the responsible use of technology.
By closing these gaps, policymakers can create a more level playing field, allowing all students—regardless of background or income—to engage fully in their education and thrive in an increasingly digital world. Viewing technology as a tool for expanding opportunity, rather than perpetuating division, is essential to building a fairer and more inclusive educational system.
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