The homework gap6/15/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() To support online learning, this report correctly concludes that a student must have both a broadband connection (defined in the US as providing 25Mbps/3Mbps throughput and allowing unlimited data consumption) and a connected device “adequate for distance learning ( i.e., laptop, computer, or tablet).” Online learning in the age of COVID-19 demonstrates that smartphones on metered mobile data connections don’t cut it.Ī flood of disturbing new data in the US is coming out on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning. Congress should fund connectivity and devices for school children and teachers lacking broadband at home. The FCC needs to clarify that its schools and libraries universal service program can support online learning at home. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates that governments and the major international organizations need to prioritize extending connectivity to both schools and school children at home. To meaningfully address the homework gap, we need to move beyond basic mobile connectivity and instead ensure that all students have access to a high-speed connection providing unlimited data consumption and a connected device adequate for distance learning.Ī recent report from Commonsense Media and the Boston Consulting Group reports that a startling 14-15 million school children in the US lack a fixed broadband connection at home. According to this report, the homework gap significantly affects every state and every type of community, but it is more pronounced in rural communities and for Black, Latinx, and Native American households. One of the many damaging aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is its impact on children and young people lacking broadband connectivity at home. This is a problem that impacts every type of community, in the US and around the world, but is more pronounced in low-income and rural communities. As part of the next round of COVID-19 legislation, the U.S. ![]()
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