The relationship between income inequality and digital education



Digital books, apps and electronic media resources help students learn at school and home through engagement and interaction. As beneficial as these digital resources are, not every student, school or parents have access to these resources. Income inequality is the reason why some schools, parents and students can access these resources and others can’t. Only the middle class and rich families in my country can afford to expose their children to online reading materials because of the high rate of internet subscription. Public schools do not have adequate facilities to provide these means for  students from low income families, therefore increasing the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.  
Integrating technology in the classroom can add to eliminating or reducing the gap created by income inequality because all students will have access to digital educational materials that can increase their level of academic achievement. My only concern is how low income schools can receive funding that will enable them integrate digital education in their curricular.  If all schools are able to integrate technology in the classroom, we will succeed at closing the achievement gap between students from low income background and the middle income students.  Students will be able to make optimal use of the technology provided at school for class tasks and homework and no one will be left out.
In selecting appropriate technology for use in the classroom, educators must decide what is needed and what is not needed. The most important question to ask is if it is of value to the child and is able to increase interest, motivation and engagement.

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