Rivers Flowing Toward the Sea: Education Inequalities During COVID-19 Identified Through a Quality and Satisfaction Questionnaire to Students Concerning E-Learning

Abstract

This study focuses on preexisting inequalities in education and those maximized by the pandemic. It is based on the validation of scales for the construction of a quality and satisfaction questionnaire on students (QSQS) with distance learning for students of higher education to apply to quality assurance offices of higher education institutions. It is based on six dimensions, and, in this article, the result of one of the dimensions is also analyzed: student participation in e-learning. Through the QSQS to answer the following research question: What is the quality and satisfaction of students concerning e-learning? A large number of students and educators have suffered the consequences of a sudden transition to virtual education. In addition to the lack of equipment and people trained to support students in many households, this alternative means of teaching presents contextual differences. In addition, government actions express the concept of biopower, through mass regulations established based on popular fear. The reconstruction of education needs to start now, in conjunction with societies and communities, planning to compensate for unequal learning losses. Financial resources are particularly important; however, those earmarked for the social sectors tend to be neglected in light of the debt burden in the following years. This may affect, on a large scale, the number of students attending private higher education institutions.