Students across Washington have been learning via computers instead of classrooms since the start of the school year. While some have been able to adjust, remote learning has caused many students to fall behind — typically students from poorer socioeconomic backgrounds.
This phenomena is called the “digital divide,” referring to the gap in educational outcomes between students with access to technological resources and those without. This divide is only exacerbated when schooling is almost entirely remote, so the Washington state government is stepping in.
The office of Governor Jay Inslee recently announced it’s directing $24 million in relief funds to buy around 64,000 computing devices (like tablets and laptops) for students across Washington state.
“Having their own device is vital to students and staff participating and succeeding in distance learning,” Inslee said in a statement. “The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown challenges at every Washingtonian, especially working families and students — having the proper equipment to navigate their new educational reality shouldn’t be one of those challenges.”
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction estimates that about 64,000 students and school staff members statewide don’t have access to their own computer or tablet, and logistical bottlenecks due to COVID-19 make it harder to get a computer quickly. To remedy this, the office will ship devices to students — the first shipment of around 20,000 computers is expected to come in the next few weeks.
The OSPI is also helping by allocating $8.8 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds to provide internet to 60,000 families and set up Wi-Fi hotspots across the state.
Other states have taken similar steps to help students with remote learning, as well as several private institutions. Microsoft and Amazon both have come up with plans to provide students with tech resources, and Seattle-based Avanade hosted a handful of computer drives during the early months of the pandemic.
The Washington state government estimates that 95 percent of students started the 2020–21 school year via remote learning. The sooner those students receive necessary resources, the lower the risk of them falling behind.
