The Right to Education and ICT during COVID-19: An International Perspective

Luis Miguel Lázaro Lorente, Ana Ancheta Arrabal and Cristina Pulido-Montes
Additional contact information
Luis Miguel Lázaro Lorente: Department of Comparative Education and History of Education, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Ana Ancheta Arrabal: Department of Comparative Education and History of Education, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Cristina Pulido-Montes: Department of Comparative Education and History of Education, Universidad de Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: There is a lack of concluding evidence among epidemiologists and public health specialists about how school closures reduce the spread of COVID-19. Herein, we attend to the generalization of this action throughout the world, specifically in its quest to reduce mortality and avoid infections. Considering the impact on the right to education from a global perspective, this article discusses how COVID-19 has exacerbated inequalities and pre-existing problems in education systems around the world. Therefore, the institutional responses to guaranteeing remote continuity of the teaching–learning process during this educational crisis was compared regionally through international databases. Three categories of analysis were established: infrastructure and equipment, both basic and computer-based, as well as internet access of schools; preparation and means of teachers to develop distance learning; and implemented measures and resources to continue educational processes. The results showed an uneven capacity in terms of response and preparation to face the learning losses derived from school closure, both in low-income regions and within middle- and high-income countries. We concluded that it is essential to articulate inclusive educational policies that support strengthening the government response capacity, especially in low-income countries, to address the sustainability of education.

Keywords: COVID-19; right to education; ICTs in education; SDG4; comparative education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/9091/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/9091/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:9091-:d:438423

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().