“I had no idea what online lessons were”: experiencing the lockdown as a student of a rural school

Abstract

Although providing students with access to equal education is one of the priorities and challenges of schools in general, students in rural schools are more likely to have limited access to equal education in comparison with their peers in urban schools. When it comes to strategies to provide equal access to education, these strategies may not always be applied successfully and accessed equally. For instance, in cases of global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic the need for new strategies may emerge. However, in this case again, it is more difficult for rural schools to catch up with ‘new reality’ and ensure all students have access to education. This study investigates how the nationwide lockdown due to the global pandemic influences access to education from the perspectives of students of a rural school. Using qualitative data generated through individual interviews and photographs, the study provides valuable insights into how students of a rural school experience new realities of their life such as remote teaching and learning. The results of the research reveal the diverse reactions to ‘new normality’ among students, the challenges they face with access to online education and the promoting and discouraging conditions influencing them to pursue their education online.

Keywords

• rural schools
• access to education
• students’ perspectives
• case study