Open Access Research Article
RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND DIGITAL DIVIDES DURING COVID: GLOBAL SOUTH PERSPECTIVE
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Article Details
RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND DIGITAL DIVIDES DURING
COVID: GLOBAL SOUTH PERSPECTIVE
AUTHORED BY - ABDUL RAZZAQ
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The
researcher has undertaken comparative research to analyse the difference in
access to the right to education
during covid between the global south and the global north and also tried to know a better understanding of digital
divides through community divides, gender divides, and rural/urban divides. The methodology adopted
is focused on the under-studied subjects by analysing the patterns of exclusions and marginalisation of the marginalised due to the unavailability
of the resources.
The researcher has also employed qualitative and quantitative methods of
research to reflect the ground
reality of the global south and the impact of covid on education and related
rights, which are guaranteed under
various national and international covenants. Through content analysis and data analysis, the researcher has tried to
establish causal research and patterns to show that the difference or the unavailability of technology during covid has
jeopardised the right to education due to the socio-economic differences existing within different societies.
The present project focusing on the above said approaches as a
methodological framework is an attempt
to show the lacunas under the existing social and legal framework, which leads
to the subjugation of marginalized
people by denying them the basic right that is right to education in every situation.
INTRODUCTION:-
The emergence of coronavirus has presented unpredictable obstacles in various
aspects of everyday living, and every measure has
been taken to contain the spread of the virus. One of the most notable measures
is the implementation of mandatory
lockdowns by governments in numerous countries.
The effect of the lockdown reflected on the education system and led to the closure of educational institutions, due
to that, 1.6 billion students were affected in over 190 countries.[1] As per the data released
by UNICEF, during
the latter half of 2020, there were 86% of students
in developing countries were unable to access primary education, whereas only
20% of students in developed countries faced the same
challenges.[2] It can
also be seen that the 1 year of covid has seen more significant changes in remote learning than the previous 12 years.[3]
Coronavirus the infectious disease which devastated the chain of getting
an education in such a short time.
There were many people across the Global South countries who were affected by
this and the output of this
infectious disease again showed the difference between developed and developing countries. The devastation
caused by the coronavirus in Global South countries was much higher than in developed countries, and we also know the
development of Global South countries is negatively backed by neocolonialism. The system of education in
Global south countries somehow
follows the Western
system of education. The right to education is guaranteed
through international law, which includes Article 26 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which gives the right
to education to everyone,[4]
Article 13 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) which also recognize the right of children to education,[5] Article
28 of the Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC), It also
guarantees free education,[6]
and Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guarantees that everyone has access to quality education
that is inclusive, equitable and provides
lifelong learning opportunities.[7]
Beyond the white paper, there is the existence of a reality that Global South countries faced at the time of the pandemic
because of a lack of access to technology. Many Global South countries lack the infrastructure & resources to
provide education to students through
these technologies. They had restricted financial resources and struggled to allocate those during the
pandemic due to economic challenges. On the other hand, Global North countries were able to manage all the necessities,
and they had resources to invest in
learning technology. At the same time, marginalised students were
disproportionately affected by the virus because
of limited access to resources, technology and support. Global North countries
were criticised for their inadequate efforts in assisting these students.
DISPARITIES OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION BETWEEN GLOBAL NORTH AND GLOBAL SOUTH DURING
COVID
Firstly, it is important to know the difference between Global North
countries and global south countries. Global North countries
refer to developed
countries that possess
economic and political stability. They are also
advanced in technology, unlike global south countries.[8]
Global South countries are mostly
developing countries and are located in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. They have less
developed; they are economically and politically unstable.[9] Whether it is Global North countries or global
south countries, most of the countries have ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and every
country is entitled to get the right to
education in a qualitative manner in every situation. Apart from UDHR, Many
countries like the United States, through
the 14th Amendment of its constitution, give the right to get an education. India, through Article 21A of
its constitution, provides free education for ages 6 to 14 years.[10]
The covid-19 impacted the right to education worldwide, but it affected
both developed and global south countries differently. Schools and universities were recommended to maintain communication with the students through
virtual mode, but due to a lack of appropriate digital resources, both teachers and students faced difficulties. Global
South countries had sufficient means,
advanced technology and digital resources by which they were able to quickly
transition to the online medium of
learning. However, there were still challenges to transit full-fledged learning
through online platforms.[11] Global South countries
faced more crucial
challenges because of a lack
of necessary infrastructure and resources, which further resulted in
difficulties in transitioning learning methods to online and providing support
to students. Despite
these differences, there were many students from Global North countries
also, who faced challenges in equal access to education, especially those who come from low-income families
or with disabilities. In terms of government efforts, Global North countries are well-equipped to maintain
parity in offline and online education. They have allocated resources for
schools and universities to bring remote learning and make sure that students
have access to tools and resources
for successful remote learning. As per the survey conducted in 2020, the United
States had successfully transitioned to remote learning. However, there
were disparities in learning among
any students, for low-income and rural students.[12]
While on the other side of the world, Indian
students had no option to go for online study; there were only 8% of households
have computers with internet.[13]
While in Lebanon, nearly 70% of the students used a first-time online method,
and 60% of the students
were using their mobile to attend online classes.[14]
These comparisons show the struggle
to get an education varies from country to country. The output of covid 19 showed the exact inequalities
among nations, and it is just as mathematical equality, not rational basis equality. Qualitative
education is a standard that the global south aspires to reach. The first struggle to reach that standard
is qualitative means, and global south countries like India and Lebanon etc, are still struggling
with means to reach that standard.
Digital Divide:
An Comparative Analysis
of Indian and the American Scenario
Globally the internet has become a necessity, and people rely on it in
almost every aspect, like finding
jobs, getting an education or for healthcare. Multiple indicators show that
India, which has the second-largest
internet user population, still has about half of its population without access to the Internet.[15]
However, reports also show that 93% of adults in America have internet access.[16]
Digital divides are characterised by some disparities like age, location
(urban/rural), language
(English/non-English speakers), and education level, This shows the complexity
of the digital divide. A similar digital
divide exists between the Global North and South, in which both India and the US are good examples. The
unequal distribution of access to digital resources within a community can lead to bad consequences, including
limited political participation and ineffective
implementation of technology-based government schemes, ultimately hindering the overall
development of a country.
Individual categorical disparities, The global digital divide is further
exacerbated by the gender digital divide,
which is a significant
concern. Due to lower literacy rates among women in developing countries compared to men, this inequality is also
reflected in their level of digital literacy.[17]
In India, the gap between male and female mobile ownership is 50% and 20%. It
gets worse when you compare mobile
ownership and ability regarding the use of computer internet by urban females with rural females.[18]
The proportion of rural women using computers is only 7%, and in urban areas, it is 26.9% who have
similar skills. There are many reasons for not having access to computers
in rural areas, like high cost of data, computers
and insufficient knowledge of technology. Many patriarchal notions
like women are less adept at utilising technology, also backed for not having mobiles
and access to computers for women in rural areas, instead, they are controlled by male members of
their family.[19] The US
is one of the few countries where women
access the internet more than males from any place, 93% of the women have
internet access.[20]
So gender divide also played a quintessential role during covid for lacking in
online education.[21]
To know the digital divide, we also must look into the Community gap in
India and the US. In India, the community is also divided
through caste (OBC), Other Backward
class, (SC) Scheduled Caste, and Scheduled Tribe. The ownership of
computers, access to the internet, and internet
literacy exhibit significant disparities across different caste groups. These
disparities are rooted in complex
historical, cultural, and social factors.[22] As per the report published by the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) in 2019, there
was a significant difference in smartphone
usage rates among different caste groups in India. The study found that 43% of
the upper caste population use
smartphones, while the corresponding figures for OBC, SC, and ST groups are 30%, 25%, & 23%, respectively, We also keep in mind that 70% of India population is shared by OBCs, SCs & STs.[23]
In the case of the USA, I divide the community on a minority and majority basis, So if we take and
compare the accessibility of computers from India and the USA then 79% of white Americans, 61%
Hispanics, and 66% of African who are living in America have access to
broadband internet.[24]
Almost 50% of the Americans who lacked access
to the Internet were from Black or Hispanic communities, and within
those groups, around 20% of Black
and 16% of Hispanic individuals are not
adequately prepared to utilise the Internet.[25]
Third perspective to understand the digital divide
between the USA and India is Geographical differences
within the states. In India, Uttar Pradesh & Bihar are on the top to have
very few people utilise the internet.
Also, low-income states like Assam & Madhya Pradesh are very
low in using the internet. On the
other hand, if we compare rich states in income, like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab, they are far ahead in
utilising and accessing Technology.[26]
There are many states where tribal
people live, for them, it is more difficult to utilise the services of the
internet during covid, States like
Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. So the disparity in their economic development is also
because of unequal access to the internet; they cannot increase their revenue above a certain point, then it is also
further reflected in getting education through
online mode during covid. Further, If we see the USA with the same lens, then
the states vary in broadband
accessibility and internet speed. Montana has the lowest internet speed, which is 20.3 Mbps,
among the US states. New Jersey leads in terms of internet speed with 52 Mbps and
with 99% broadband coverage.[27]
The rural South, which comprises Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, have low internet
utilisation rates because
in these states,
mostly tribal people
and Indian people reside, and their accessibility to the internet is
lower than the other US ethnic groups.[28]
So for the developed nations it was only regional disparity, and the
situation of the developing nation
like India was more than that. There were only two students out of ten who got
the chance to take their online
classes in the least developed countries. In countries like India, Rural
citizens were facing more problems
than urban ones in getting vaccination because it required digital knowledge
and skills.[29]
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
IN EDUCATION
The outcome of Covid is not only the vaccines we developed or effective
globalisation, but the reality behind
the parity exposed the existence of a deep digital divide. On the one hand,
there were people who had the
technology to continue their education through online mode and others who had no access to technology to
continue their education, The Existence of unequal access to technology among the groups defines the
digital divide.
There
are several international measures going on to bridge the digital divide:
-The
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 4 of this aims to
provide equality in the
quality of education, This goal also includes boosting digital literacy among countries.[30]
- The Global Education Coalition by UNESCO: It also aims to unite
governments, International organisations
and private sectors to assist countries in distance learning methods and
providing education to the most vulnerable students.[31]
-The Educational Global Practice by the World Bank
is also working to assist countries in improving
their education systems. Promoting digital literacy is also included in their
initiatives for bridging the digital divide.[32]
-The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): It also
offers development and provides opportunities for teachers around the world to enhance
technology in education
worldwide.[33]
-The
Global e-Schools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI): This organisation
collaborates with governments and helps teachers
and students for a better
understanding of digital
literacy.[34]
Above mentioned international measures are designed
to improve the online learning
environment, But due to a lack
of focus on addressing underlying inequalities in education, Limited sustainability due to inadequate
funding & support, and technological challenges such as low internet connectivity, global south countries
struggle to afford and also lack of local community involvement for the enhancement
of digital education.
There are some measures by which
bridging the gap is possible:
-Infrastructure
Development: Investment into infrastructure can lead to improving the quality
of online education. The area in
which the government needs to invest is computer laboratories in educational institutions and broadband
networks. This can help the student to get an education through online mode
and also help to improve digital literacy.
-Mobile Learning: Using mobiles for education is a cost-effective way to
bridge the gap between the digital
divide, as it is not usually run through broadband or fixed internet. So for
the rural areas, mobile
application-based learning will be beneficial for low-income families.
-Teacher training: The role of the teacher is vital in digital learning;
they are the basic structure for
bridging the digital divide. As they are the means for learning and they should
be digitally trained to deliver
quality education to students.[35]
In India we can witness the scenes in which teachers
are unable to communicate digital education to students as they themselves don't know how to use it.
-Public-private partnerships: Government can provide funding
and guidelines, and with collaboration with NGOs and Private companies, they can provide technical assistance and resources. By working together,
they can develop
and implement innovative solutions for bridging
the gap, such as low-cost
digital devices, Online education platforms
and mobile learning initiatives. The sustainability
of digital infrastructure and technology may be promoted through these collaborations, which may help to assure long-term
funding and support.
CONCLUSION:
Avoiding reality does not mean a solution, another virus will come again
and show reality again. Digital
divide, the problem is not only that students do not have the internet, it is
also necessary for students
to have a mobile or computer.
They should also have the money to buy those
mobiles or computers, so then the internet
will be required for things to happen. The second thing is that there should be online tools in the school by
which teachers can easily convey the message
to the students. The third thing is that the teacher should know everything
about online education because they
are the means for better understanding. For that, teachers should get good training at the grass root level. It is
difficult to end the digital divide with international efforts unless there are efforts at the domestic
level because, as we discussed above, digital divides include many divides like Gender divide, Community Divide, Age
divide, and urban & rural divide.
The actions at the grass root level are important to induce instinct that
would assert an interest in formal education
beyond mere affirmative action. We used to go to watch TV in other's houses
to watch cricket matches or
serials in childhood because we had the instinct to watch matches or serials, but studies are unlike that when
we study then we understand its importance, Like now I see in my village that everyone has mobile phones, but they
watch Instagram reels instead of studying,
so it is vital to have instinct at grass root level only then the fight between
grass root and cabin ends. Actions
follow instinct; the instinct to use the era of the internet beyond a source of entertainment to a source of
creativity, knowledge, and education would come from an instinct to know.
Merely on the basis that rights are written on white paper doesn’t change
reality; organisations must do
something substantial by which online education may improve.
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Article Information
RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND DIGITAL DIVIDES DURING COVID: GLOBAL SOUTH PERSPECTIVE
Authors: ABDUL RAZZAQ
- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Published 2023/05/17
- Volume 2
- Issue 7
About Journal
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
- Abbreviation IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Access Open Access
- License CC 4.0
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