Abstract

India continues to face the challenge of ensuring free and equitable access to school education. In the last decade, technology has been increasingly utilised in education to enhance access to it, improve its quality and ensure better management of the education system. In this paper, we examine the role of technology in education and whether it widens or bridges the already existing gaps of access, quality and equality in education, especially in the context of urban areas.

We use a detailed review of the online admissions procedure under the Right to Education quota in private, unaided schools of the Bangalore Urban district as the prime means to examine the use of technology. We conclude that in urban areas where communities are vulnerable and unorganised, the use of technology does not necessarily convert itself into greater inclusion. Rather, it can exacerbate exclusion unless designed and implemented carefully with the intent of reducing exclusion errors.

Jha, J., & Minni, P. (2019, February). Bridging Old Gaps, Building New Barriers: A Study of Online Admissions under the Right to Education Act in Bangalore Urban Private Unaided Schools. India: Max Weber Stiftung; GHI London. https://doi.org/10.25360/01-2019-00002