The impact of digitalisation on the right to education

Notwithstanding the many opportunities and remarkable long-term potential afforded by the digitalization of education and the integration of ICT tools, these technologies also generate challenges, and deepen existing inequalities. A two-pronged approach could be adopted, to ensure these challenges are addressed. The first prong of this strategy could address systemic trust through a revision of existing international legal texts to incorporate safeguards to address data protection, digital privacy, and online security with particular emphasis on children, young people and vulnerable individuals. This legal framework addressing the root concerns linked to digitalization generally and to the digitalization of education specifically, could be rolled-out by individual states using guidance developed by the international community. The second prong of this strategy could look to address the digital divide, in a bid to work towards and with time guarantee equal access for all, with particular attention given to the disenfranchised (e.g. disadvantaged social groups, older learners, women and girls, and individuals in LDCs, developing countries, and rural areas). The objective of this paper is to review available literature in the field and to make recommendations for relevant stakeholders including the international community and states.