Digital Disparities and Educational Exclusion: Examining Online Learning Barriers Among Underprivileged Students in South Africa

Résumé

This study investigated the impact of the rapid shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on underprivileged learners in South Africa, with a focus on digital disparities that threaten to deepen existing educational inequalities. The purpose of the study was to critically examine the structural, infrastructural, pedagogical, and policy-related barriers that hinder equitable access to online education. Using a qualitative research methodology, including policy analysis and a review of existing literature and statistical reports, the study identified how limited access to digital devices, unreliable internet connectivity, and unsupportive home environments have excluded marginalised students from effective online learning. The findings reveal that these digital divides disproportionately affect students in rural and low-income communities, exacerbating pre-existing inequalities in the education system. The article recommends targeted policy interventions such as state-sponsored digital infrastructure development, inclusive curriculum design, and public-private partnerships to bridge the digital gap. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on education and inequality in the Global South by highlighting the urgent need for an inclusive digital education policy framework. It emphasizes that equitable access to digital learning is not only a technological challenge but also a socio-political imperative for educational justice in post-pandemic South Africa.

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