No internet: Lockdown worsens Argentina’s educational inequality

As Argentina sees a record number of COVID-19 cases and a new lockdown sends all students home to learn remotely, the question of how to ensure that those without access to the internet or computers can learn has become more urgent than ever.

Buenos Aires, Argentina — Aldana Ramos recalls a moment early in the coronavirus pandemic when she thought she would have to give up her schooling. The 19-year-old resident of the low-income barrio of Villa Soldati was juggling two education programmes — taking university courses for medical school in the morning and then studying to be a nurse in the afternoon. But it was the demand of classrooms thrust entirely into the virtual space that made things more difficult. With no internet at home, and only one cell phone that she shared with her younger brother to log on and complete assignments, it seemed almost impossible to keep up. She tried to use the Wi-Fi in her local park, but “the problem is that everyone connects at the same time, and it ends up crashing,” Ramos told Al Jazeera. “So it’s the same as nothing.”