Humans invented technology as a means of bridging communication gaps but beyond this primary aim, it was meant to spread through many other areas of human endeavor including education. But, this wave of development has not been successful enough in stitching the social gaps in education; instead the differences seem to increase as more technological inventions emerge by day.

Education has always revolved around the cycle of inequality and social class. Children of the rich patronize schools with amplified facilities and ofcourse teachers with updated knowledge, children of the poor on the other hand are at the mercy of public schools. Before now, public schools were about the best schools with the best facilities but the order has changed plus the unspeakable gap that technology has infused.

Read also: The surest way of eradicating the negative impact is ICT on students

The discrimination we are talking about would have been fair enough if it stopped at schools but no; it spreads uncontrollably into the society like virus. Infact between schools and the society, we can hardly say which is influencing which. To avoid many doubts, let’s look at several ways technology has inspired social-gaps in education.

• It has modified discrimination

• Knowledge gaps

• Affordability is relative

It has modified discrimination
Discrimination often presents itself in various ways, racial, gender, age and economic but in an academic setting, the discrimination takes advantage of school ownership. From the way we have it today, private institutions are the birthright of the rich and powerful who could afford to pay the big bills. If by chance you see a child from a poor background it must be through sponsorship or scholarship. It is in this platform that you meet children choosing playmates or clicks that are of same social status.

Students and kids alike bring along their tech gadgets for use in school; if you do not have it, you are to find your levels. The most intimidating of all is when students tend to keep trends with latest the gadgets and buy them as soon as it’s out for sale.

Knowledge Gap
You cannot possibly equate the IQ of a child who is exposed to several methods of learning to one that is only familiar with normal class room sermons. The introduction of virtual reality and augmented reality into education has totally enhanced how pupils and students gain learning experiences and even the method of learning but the experience is totally different in a local schools, low financed schools and ofcourse public schools.

Affordability
The only thing standing between knowledge gap is affordability. If you can afford tech enhanced education, you have, if you can’t you go for less. In the early days of education, admission was based more on merit than any other factor but now, money is the first on the list if you need quality education.

Nice write up, in terms of using ICT efficiently in education, the only way is to help our kids to develop the passion for technology in classrooms from infancy. Useful post is found here: https://ictcatalogue.com/how-technology-has-increased-social-gaps-in-education/