Digital divide in distance learning: the case of Perm krai

The urgent transition to distance learning technologies in the general education system during the COVID-19 pandemic once again demonstrated the importance of overcoming the digital divide in the Russian Federation. The purpose of this article is to analyze certain aspects of the digital divide in distance learning among schoolchildren of the Perm Krai. The materials of the article are the results of several studies conducted by the Center for Digitalization and Development of Educational Systems of Education Development Institute of Perm Krai in the first half of 2020: monitoring data of the funds for the implementation of distance learning in educational institutions of Perm Krai; a sample survey of teachers of educational institutions of Perm Krai in the first half of 2020: monitoring data of the funds for the implementation of distance learning in educational institutions of Perm Krai; a sample survey of teachers of educational institutions of Perm Krai (N = 315); the opinion poll of the 1-11 grade students’ parents (legal representatives) of Perm Krai (N = 22872). The results of the study revealed that the first digital divide among schoolchildren, in access to digital technologies, has not yet been fully overcome. Digital divide is associated with regional and territorial differentiation and manifests itself in the availability of computers and the Internet for students both at home and at school. The social environment as one of the main factors influencing the level of digital divide of schoolchildren is very important. It includes the socio-economic characteristics of the family (place of residence, the number of children in the family, the parents’ level of education, etc.), as well as the «involvement» of parents in the online educational process. Also, the most important factor of the social environment affecting the digital divide reduction of schoolchildren is the characteristics of the educational organizations, the level of development of the teachers’ digital competencies.