COVID-19: 20% of students are excluded from distance classes because they do not have a computer at home

With the closure of schools as a preventive measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on March 16, thousands of students began taking classes via the Internet. However, it is estimated that one in five students does not have the means to access distance classes.

The conclusion of a study by Arlindo Ferreira, a specialist in Education Statistics, is published on his blog. The specialist reveals that 20% of the students surveyed do not have a computer at home, thus making it difficult to carry out both distance classes and jobs that imply the need for a PC.

Online access at home is another problem. According to 2019 data from the National Institute of Statistics advanced by Lusa, more than 5% of students under the age of 15 lived in homes without Internet. As for students over 16, 0.4% did not have Internet access at home.

Previously, the two presidents of the associations of school principals, Filinto Lima (ANDAEP) and Manuel Pereira (ANDE), had already warned of the impact of social inequalities in distance classes. Jorge Asceno, president of the National Confederation of Parents' Associations (Confap) also highlights the differences between families: There are always inequalities between students: some have chalets and others have huts.

Lusa, the president of the National Union of Higher Education (SNESup), Gonalo Leite Velho recalled that there are also problems in families where there is access to equipment, as it can be difficult to manage who has priority in its use. In addition, changing the environment can be complicated for students: Now when they are at school, it is sometimes difficult to stay focused, let’s imagine now at home, stressed the person in charge