The increase in educational inequalities caused by the coronavirus pandemic

Abstract

The forced transition to online education caused by the confinement of the Spanish population in order to slow the progress of COVID19, has aggravated educational differences, especially harming the most disadvantaged sectors of society. This survey study, in which 3700 teachers from all over Spain participate, analyses the effect of the type of school (public, private or concerted) on two groups of variables. First, those that value the prior training of teachers to attend virtual teaching and, second, those that describe the action of teachers during the period of confinement. Results seem to confirm that this crisis has aggravated the previous educational differences due both to the differences in digital teacher and student education, and to the difficulties in monitoring virtual education in the most disadvantaged sector. These difficulties are mainly (but not exclusively) due to the lack of technological resources and the inability of families to support their children’s learning. The results are discussed and proposals are made for education administrations.