Slovakia has to pay 3,000 euros to a Roma girl because she cannot participate in distance learning because her access to the internet is not sufficiently guaranteed. The decision came along with the decision of the Prešov court. The young student’s lawyers claim that this is the first decision on the digital divide in Europe.
digital divide
During the pandemic, Slovakia opted for one of the longest school closures worldwide. After full-time education was stopped, the government introduced distance education. The prosecution emphasized in court that this type of education is only possible with internet connection and digital technologies. However, the girl and her family did not have access to these tools because the state did not provide them to her. “For the first time, the Slovakian court has highlighted the ‘digital divide’ that exists between the majority society and disadvantaged communities. A gap that is widening every day in the digital age. The Court has now confirmed that it is discriminatory and the State must eliminate it”, lawyer Vanda Durbáková told local media.
The Slovak Center for Civil and Human Rights also describes the decision as “innovative” at the European level. “The court’s decision confirms the serious failures of the state during the pandemic,” Durbáková said. The spokesman for the district court from Prešov said that, according to the judges, Slovakia discriminated against access to education, information and freedom of expression by “failing to take adequate measures to ensure the plaintiff’s equal access to education during the pandemic.” The decision can still be appealed.
hard training
Appellant’s grandmother also testified in court. The woman recalled how, during the lockdown, her nephew’s school taught Roma children by handing out worksheets every week, without any help or feedback. During the hearing, the Slovak Ministry of Education rejected such discrimination against students, saying that the introduction of distance education protected students’ constitutional right to education. At the end of the process, the grandmother decided to file a lawsuit, saying, “I am glad that the court agreed with me because the school did not teach Roma children how to behave and I perceived this as discrimination.”
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
