BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE: ICT ACCESS AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY IN DEVELOPING REGIONS

Abstract

This paper examines the continued digital gap in education among the developing regions, considering how this level of inequality in accessing ICTs affects equality in education. The research uses a mixed-methods approach to analyzing secondary data of nine countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America with supporting thematic analysis of policy documents and case studies. Their analysis points out the existence of essential disparities in internet infrastructure, device accessibility, teacher preparation, and accessibility to locally relevant contents. States with strong ICT policies and greater investment in teacher development like Colombia and Peru illustrate better student engagement and student learning outcomes. Conversely, countries whose digital environment is not highly developed, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, still network with disadvantages in balancing ICT into education. The study focuses on the need that closing the digital divide is not only about hardware but also about policy coherence, gender-inclusive planning, cultural relevance of content, public-private partnership. This paper adds to the literature on digital equity by suggesting a rights-based, context-sensitive orientation in informing the futures of digital interventions in educational technology with the Global South.

Keywords:   Digital divide, ICT in education, educational equity, developing countries, teacher training, gender digital gap, localized content, public-private partnerships, policy implementation, digital inclusion.