Digital Inequality, Education Heterogeneity and Human Rights. The Conectar Igualdad Programme in rural and urban working-class schools of Salta (Argentina)

GARCÍA VARGAS, ALEJANDRA; CHACHAGUA, MARÍA ROSA; GOLOVANEVSKY, LAURA

Madrid

Congreso; Conference IAMCR 2019; 2019

IAMCR - Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Does the level of promotion and protection of education -as part of human rights and dignity- have any relation to the level of technological and social inclusion? Is there any correlation between digital inequalities and social inequalities when it comes to the rights to education in social and geographical marginalised areas? This paper bridges both questions in order to answer them via quantitative and qualitative data produced in a research project conducted in a specific context and on a specific educative policy: the Conectar Igualdad Programme (Connecting Equality Programme) as a social policy applied in an urban and a rural secondary school located in Salta (Argentina).In this way, this case study allows us to generate evidence on digital-inequality issues facing adolescent citizens among social and geographical marginalized communities; and promotes evidence- informed policy change for the improvement of the access, the use, and the implementation of ICTs for educational, social and cultural development (van Dijk, 2005).Both in Latin America and in Argentina, inequality is a historical and severe structural condition (Kessler, 2010). In turn, the social uses of technology constitute an important field of debate in the area, and the technological equity conditions during childhood and adolescence are part of most of the political and educational agendas (Becerra, 2015; Morales, 2015; Reygadas 2008; Rivoir, 2009). The concern is repeated, as well, in the public discussions at local and national levels (Morales, 2015; Ficoseco, 2019). In this paper we focus on digital inequalities in North-western Argentina (NWA), region to which Salta belongs. We analyse the implementation of the Conectar Igualdad Programme (Connecting Equality Programme, CIP given its initials in Spanish) both in a rural and an urban secondary school from the province of Salta.With an interdisciplinary approach, this case study allows us to generate evidence on digital-inequality issues facing adolescents living in low income communities, lacking access to quality basic services; and promotes evidence-informed policy change for the improvement of the access, the use, and the implementation of ICTs for educational, social and cultural development (van Dijk, 2005).