Digital Divide in Primary Schools of Bangladesh
Rowshon Ara Romke · 2013
To build up a digital Bangladesh, there is no alternative to emphasize digital based education. The advent of computers, the internet and other Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has brought significant changes to individuals and communities across the world. Inequalities in ICT access create digital divide and social stratification in societies. Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education has been an important mission and vision in Bangladesh. In this sense, the purpose of this research is to assess the digital divide conditions in primary schools (Government and private). This research was carried out in four primary schools of Bangladesh. In Bangladesh about 22,000 primary and secondary school’s students are taught through projector and multimedia in the classroom and the teachers also download pictures, videos from internet to prepare their class lecture. From a case study method it is seen that most of the students, who are digitally and economically wealthy, got admitted them in private and digitally equipped primary schools. Those who are digitally and economically poor, become the students of government primary schools. When it is examined thoroughly, there is a digital divide between those primary school students. It is believed that, this situation goes in parallel with the socio-economic status of the families.