COVID-19 and its effects: On the risk of social inequality through digitalization and the loss of trust in three European education systems

Inka Bormann,Katja Brøgger,Milan Pol,Bohumíra Lazarová

doi:10.1177/14749041211031356

Abstract

This paper develops informed assumptions on the potential loss of trust as an unintended side-effect of the measures in education to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Well-founded concerns according to which the pandemic-induced closure of educational facilities and the shift to digitalized distance education are contributing to increased social inequality in education serve as a starting point for the argumentation. The paper contends that together with the temporary changes in the style of educational governance, in the medium term an exacerbated social inequality in education can cause a potential trust problem for the central actors imposing the measures. To support this line of reasoning, the exploratory study describes the context conditions which are relevant for the implementation and participation in digitalized distance education (measures, access and competent use of digital devices in education, level of trust) and combines them with the findings of a qualitative analysis of relevant documents from three European countries (Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany). A neo-institutional view is applied to exploring the implications of the changes in education governance and their potential side-effects on trust.

Highlights

This paper develops informed assumptions on the potential loss of trust as an unintended sideeffect of the measures in education to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic
Against the background of the theoretically underpinned problem definition, the exploratory study presented in this paper aims at empirically developing assumptions on what the COVID-19 measures can mean for trust in institutions
The analysis shows that the cases have in common the fact that the governments implemented massive interventions in education to contain the pandemic

Summary

Introduction

This paper develops informed assumptions on the potential loss of trust as an unintended sideeffect of the measures in education to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper contends that together with the temporary changes in the style of educational governance, in the medium term an exacerbated social inequality in education can cause a potential trust problem for the central actors imposing the measures. Concerns were raised early on that the pandemic measures in education may further increase already existing social inequality (Economic Policy Institute, 2020; Hübener and Schmitz, 2020).1 Based on aspects such as technical equipment, competencies or the quality of digital distance education (Helbig, 2021), inequalities are likely to occur both within and across European countries. It is at stake when the values underlying decisions are not considered to be fair or benevolent, if relevant interests are not safeguarded, if decisions are not executed competently or if needs and demands are not responded to in efficient and effective ways (Lepsius, 2017; Mayer et al, 1995: 124; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2017: 21–27)

Objectives

Findings

Conclusion