Mitigating the digital divide in the South African higher education system in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The advent of the pandemic has, however, brought a new context to the challenges of higher education access, deepening the precarious position of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. [...]online teaching and learning intensifed the digital divide between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots', exacerbating the already existing inequalities in the South African higher education system. Even though the severity, effects and consequences of the pandemic are yet to be understood properly, it has already affected various sectors and created a new order that is complex and uncertain. Since the outbreak in late December 2019, Covid-19 has wreaked havoc across the world in critical sectors, including higher education. According to the April 2020 World Bank report, by that time, 175 countries had closed their higher education institutions, affecting a student population of over 220 million (World Bank, 2020). [...]the precarious position of students from disadvantaged backgrounds during the pre-Covid-19 era has amplified several challenges that embrace the students' broad economic and social experiences;these have manifested in diverse forms of academic exclusion. Several pressing and critical questions need to be addressed, including how to reinforce alternative teaching methods and delivery structures - notably, many South African institutions are still struggling with the rapid digitalisation of the curriculum to ensure alignment with the latest digital era. [...]critical reflection on the challenges caused by the digital divide in South African higher education is needed.