The Uneven Access to Technology Among Children: Evidence from India

Abstract

In recent years the discourse in education has been around the provision of quality education, and, the use of technology towards this end. While the use of technology in education has increased, the digital divide among certain sub-groups of society has become more pronounced. This paper analyses the nationally representative data from the National Sample Survey Organisation’s Survey of Education 2017-18 and provides evidence on the prevalent digital divide in India. We adopt a gendered lens and inspect the different ways in which gender intersects with socio-economic characteristics and how that affects the possession and use of digital devices and internet facilities. The results suggest that although India has reached a near-universal attendance rate in the elementary stages of education, the digital divide in terms of possession and use of digital devices and internet facilities remains quite stark. The children who reside in the rural sector, who hail from families with low monthly per capita consumption expenditure, and girls, possess a lesser number of devices and had lower internet facilities in 2017-18. National Education Policy 2020 acknowledges the existing digital divide in society and paves way for the future of education technology in India. Our discussion highlights the vision of education technology use in India and the recent interventions undertaken by the state governments to increase the use of education technology in India.

Keywords: Digital divide, children, education, technology

JEL Classification: I21, I24, J1