The pandemic as a factor for the exclusion of students in a situation of vulnerability at the UPC

Abstract

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic had great effects in almost all areas worldwide. Education was no exception, here the enormous gaps and inequalities have existed for years in all countries, especially Latin America and the Caribbean were exposed. This paper seeks to characterize the main consequences that brought students in vulnerable situations in the mathematics degree program of the Popular University of Cesar of Colombia during the period 2020-2021. This research is cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational, with a mixed approach including the application of quantitative techniques such as surveys and qualitative support through a semi-structured interview, the questions of the applied questionnaire are grouped by affinity or by categories to facilitate the analysis and understanding of the results. Exclusion factors were those that directly affected the performance and student permanence in the university, among the most noteworthy were the threat to health and life, the deterioration of the family economy, the instability produced by the change of academic modality, and the great technological barriers represented in lack of light, of internet, electronic devices, and other shortcomings.

Keywords

• health emergency, remote education, vulnerable population, consequences, characterization, higher education.