Students and online, 27% without devices

(ANSA) - ROME, MARCH 27 - That distance learning entered fully into the days of students from all over Italy is a fact. The numbers improve day by day, especially on the quality front (apart from some North-South differences). This, however, does not mean that there are no problems. To underline it is the new weekly monitoring of the "Remote school" Observatory of Skuola.net, which involved 25 thousand pupils of middle and high school. Among the latter, over 2 out of 3 are now extremely interactive lessons, connecting in video-conference with the teachers, thanks to the most advanced platforms (seven days ago they were 60%). Even middle schools, albeit a step backwards, are growing steadily: almost 6 out of 10 (a week ago they were less than half) are the boys who can take advantage of the latest generation software, rather than simply using the electronic register or merely assigning tasks.
But the technological equipment of the families is the main obstacle that prevents the definitive affirmation of distance learning. 27% of respondents, for example, say that there are no insufficient devices in the home (computers, tablets, etc.) to let their children study and work their parents at the same time. Similar speech for the connection: 23% still have network problems (and a further33% have solved them over the weeks). The most recurrent causes? 61% do not have a fixed connection so fast to support a smooth course of lessons, 24% access the Internet using a mobile hotspot but the network coverage is insufficient or has few gigabytes available, 9% do not have this either.
I jump high, however, as regards the assessments.
More than one in 2 students, in middle and high school, have already conducted queries or checks via the web. A sign that considering the school year valid may not be a decision based on goodism but on the awareness that some students are working with teachers and therefore that it is also possible to judge them. Obviously now the big challenge is to get every student, perhaps the most difficult part. Because a not negligible percentage declares that they have not yet been reached by smart learning in an official form and codified by the institute: they are 6% in high school and 17% in intermediate. Numbers that have not decreased since a week ago. For all the others, however, it is necessary to resolve the criticism that inevitably carries behind a process that would have taken years and days to be carried out in a workmanlike manner. In fact, about one in 3 children reports that to date he is still forced to live with 'organizational' inconveniences and technical malfunctions. And, for once, this situation is found homogeneously throughout the national territory. (HANDLE).