The Homework Gap

Sixty-two percent of Americans don't think that it's the government's responsibility for people to have access to high-speed internet connections at home. If the responsibility doesn't belong with the government, who should the nearly sixty percent of low-income households look to when their children struggle to complete their schoolwork?

Without any clear guidelines or help from our leadership, school districts across the country are attempting to address these issues as best they can. Unfortunately, without any coordination or cooperation, they are often competing against each other for the same limited resources leaving students caught in the middle. A similar story is unfolding worldwide, as the surge in demand for low-cost laptops, thanks to the coronavirus, creates backlogs. Communities like those in Alabama, Mississippi, New Jersey, Texas, North Carolina, and Idaho are all waiting months for the devices for their students. Students without access to broadband and computers will continue to fall behind their peers as a result.

One of the real tragedies is that the digital divide is not a new issue, but thanks to the coronavirus, it has taken on new levels of urgency. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, over 40% of lower-income households had no access to broadband or computers at home. Almost 60% of middle schoolers said that they used the internet for homework practically every day; for close to 20% of low-income high-schoolers, that wasn't an option. Now, due to the Covid-19, families are under ever-increasing financial pressures as unemployment creeps up, with half of low-income households worried about paying their upcoming cellphone and broadband bills. Right now, 59% of low-income parents in the U.S. now say that their children are facing obstacles completing their school work. As unemployment remains high due to Covid-19, the situation for these families will continue to deteriorate.

Critics will point out that private companies are already stepping in to fill this gap. Companies like Comcast offer discounted packages like Internet Essentials to qualified low-income residents. T-Mobile has a program to provide hot-spots to schools in need. While these programs are great examples of public, private partnerships, they do pose some issues. First off, locating information on these programs, submitting qualification paperwork, and signing up, can be laborious, especially so if you don't have an internet connection already. Secondly, not all connectivity is equal. T-Mobile's plan only allows for 2GB of data per month over LTE. Any student attending classes via Zoom or Skype will reach those limits in short order. Both of these programs assume that the students already have access to a computer or tablet. These programs are better than nothing, but a half-measure at best. To truly bridge the digital divide, we need leadership.

Equitable access to technology was a component of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so why do we allow such divisions to persist today? Using a computer and accessing the internet is no longer a "nice to have" but an essential part of daily life. We need to set clear standards for universal access and availability of technology so we can close the digital divide once and for all. Communities can meet those standards through a mix of public and private partnerships to achieve this common goal.

So to the sixty percent of readers out there who don't feel the government should involve themselves with enabling internet access for everyone, how do you explain to these struggling families why you don't care.