Disadvantaged Distance Learning: 30% of K-12 Students Lack Adequate Internet Access
COVID-19 has forced school closures over the last two years and pushed 50 million K-12 public school students into remote learning in the US. But even now, a significant portion of those students have been stranded on the wrong side of the digital divide.
For distance learning to work, students must have adequate access to both internet services and internet-capable devices. Unfortunately, Common Sense Media's Distance Learning report shows that roughly 30% of K-12 students are without one or both of those requirements.
That's 15 to 16 million children without access to online learning tools. Of that, about 5 to 6 million students are without an adequate internet connection, and 1 million don't have proper remote learning devices. About 9 million are "fully disconnected," Common Sense Media says.
Where are these digitally divided students? About 37% of rural students are without adequate connectivity, compared with 21% of urban kids and 25% of suburban kids. By ethnicity, 26% of Latinx, 30% of Black, and 35% of Native American students are without connections, compared to just 18% of White children.
Texas and California each have more than 1.5 million students without access, but states in the US South have the highest proportion of students unable to access online learning tools. Common Sense Media's report shows that 50% of Mississippi students are without access, the highest percentage in the country. Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and West Virginia follow.
By comparing the percentage of students without adequate internet connection to the percentage of students without adequate devices, it was determined that the largest digital divides exist in Mississippi,
Read more on pcmag.com
