Educational Inequality and the Pandemic in Australia: Time to Shift the Educational Paradigm (original) (raw)

2020, International Studies in Educational Administration

School closures in Australia not only exposed the persistence of socio-economic educational inequality, but exacerbated it through the delivery of remote learning, which relied on family support and material and technological resources available both in the home and at the school. The abrupt and unprepared shift in learning through this emergency educational delivery mode differentially disrupted and interrupted student learning. This paper argues that the heightened public awareness of the damaging effect of educational inequality provides leaders with an historic opportunity to shift the educational paradigm by: linking schools with parents and communities to ensure inclusive educational provision for all students; investing in equitable and accessible digital learning; and advocating for resourcing approaches that better meet the needs of all students and schools.