The COVID-19 lockdown has highlighted a stark digital divide among Irish schools, according to a new report.

The study from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) found that students from disadvantaged or rural areas suffered the most form the switch to remote learning.

It found that students from DEIS schools and rural areas had less access to the technology needed to engage with online learning.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, ESRI Research officer Dr Gretta Mohan said the pandemic has thrown the digital divide into sharp relief.

“Students of schools located in areas with poorer broadband and lower incomes have less access in their homes to information and communication technology,” she said.

“That is the laptops, computers and broadband that have been used for distance learning over the COVID-19 school closures.

“The fear is that these students are more disadvantaged and have missed out on their learning outcomes over the three months.”

Joel solves his homework at home on the iPad, tablet PC, computer, digital, learning in the corona crisis, on March 25th, 2020 at Ahlen / Germany. | usage worldwide

She said the divide between students in Ireland’s cities have a clear advantage over their rural counterparts.

“When we split the schools by poorer broadband areas, which by-and-large are rural, we saw this issue of the digital divide much more prominently,” she said.

“57% had that issue compared to areas where they have more universal broadband and that would typically be urban areas or town centres so there has been a real split there.”

An empty classroom in Trinity Comprehensive in Ballymun before Pupils prepare to sit their first Leaving Cert exam, 07-06-2017. Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews

She said Leaving Cert students were hardest-hit by the shutdown – with 84% of schools warning that it had negative effects on the wellbeing of their sixth years.

Meanwhile up to 70% of schools said their Leaving Students’ motivation and engagement was a lot lower due to the pandemic.

The study was carried out in partnership with the Department of Communications and ComReg.

Communications Minister Richard Bruton said the findings “underline the importance and urgency of rolling out the National Broadband Plan (NBP).”

“We must bridge the divide between those who have access and those that do not,” he said.

“By providing high-speed broadband to every home and school in the country, the NBP will ensure that every child in the country has the same opportunity to access online resources.”

You can listen back to the full interview with Dr Mohan here: