COVID-19 and the emergence of the disconnected student in the Global South

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled not only pre-existing educational inequalities but also introduced a new educational identity: the “disconnected student.” In Argentina, this previously unrecognized student became the focal point of numerous public policies throughout the pandemic. While studies have addressed issues like unequal access to broadband, learning loss, attendance crises, and the effects of school closures on students with disabilities, the digital divide alone cannot fully elucidate the emergence of this marginalized student. This paper conducts a discourse analysis encompassing (a) educational policy documents and curricular guidelines from 2020–2021, (b) educational programs targeting disconnected students, and (c) interviews with teachers and principals from low-income secondary schools. The aim is to comprehend the intricate and sometimes conflicting elements contributing to the emergence of the disconnected student. By scrutinizing various narratives surrounding the disconnected student, we explore how different perspectives shape those on the educational periphery. The study highlights the roles of various categories, some fostering educational opportunities while others exacerbating exclusion. It also reveals diverse narratives about the disconnected student: international organizations tend to emphasize technological aspects, while low-income schools often use the engagement/disengagement dichotomy to characterize this new educational identity.

KEYWORDS:

• Educational identity
• COVID-19
• disconnected student
• educability
• connectivity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The total number of days without in-person classes refers to the total number of days of school closure between 3 November 2020 and 31 December 2021. The number of days specified does not include partial closures, vacations, or weekends.

2 Zoombombing is the intrusion of strangers in video conferences.

3 The CFE is an institution that includes the ministers of education of all the Argentinean provinces.

4 All translations are the authors´ unless stated otherwise

5 For more details, see https://www.educ.ar/recursos/155238/plataforma-seguimos-educando.

6 For more details, see https://www.educ.ar/recursos/155238/plataforma-seguimos-educando.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Aalborg Universitet.

Notes on contributors

Ezequiel Gomez-Caride

Ezequiel Gomez Caride is an academic affiliated with the University of San Andrés. He holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with a Bachelor's degree in Educational Sciences, a teaching qualification in Educational Sciences, and a Primary Education degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. He has been recognized with prestigious scholarships, including the Fulbright postgraduate scholarship and the Weinstein Distinguished Fellowship from the Jewish Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, serves as a full-time professor at the School of Education, University of San Andrés. He is also the coordinating editor of Latin America for the “Education Policy Analysis Archives (EPAA)” journal. His research interests encompass various aspects of education, including teacher identity, outstanding educators, global educational reform, and religious discourses, all contributing to the broader discourse on inclusive education.