Digital Inequities in Central Asian Education: Gender, Geography, and Identity-Based Vulnerabilities

• In Event: Inclusion, Identity, and belonging

Proposal

The international research project Distance Education for Improved Quality and Access in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan (2021-2024) included extensive fieldwork, collecting data through policy reviews, and qualitative and quantitative research making a total of 8,761 participants including 6,475 students and 1,621 teachers. The research questions examine the situation in the school systems of the three countries in the transition to digitalization and the use of distance education technologies, with a focus on the specific vulnerabilities of students living in remote communities, boys and girls, including those from ethnic minorities. How different is the vulnerability of school children, boys and girls, including those from ethnic minorities, living in remote communities? Are other inequalities and specific vulnerable groups beyond those identified above?
The theoretical framework of this research draws on Bourdieu's and others' work on educational inequality. Distance education is examined as a discursive space to analyse the emergence and persistence of inequalities in education, providing an excellent lens which help in understanding what are the inequalities in education and in distance education (specifically) in the three countries. A discourse approach is crucial to answering the question of why certain phenomena (in this case, inequalities) arise and persist.
Overall, the research identified three vectors of vulnerability among students relating to gender (girls and boys), geography (remote and rural areas), and identity (ethnic and/or linguistic minority affiliation). While these three factors are intersecting and should not be understood in isolation, this CIES presentation will highlight the key comparative findings across the countries. Beyond the highly relevant emphasis on the role of technology, the presentation will also identify additional factors that emerged as vulnerabilities during distance education and pandemic-related school closures.
The research revealed that digital device access played a key role in shaping gender and education. In Tajikistan, boys were more likely to have smartphones, and in households with limited devices, older children, especially boys, were often disadvantaged. However, in Kyrgyzstan, the need for devices during the pandemic enabled some girls to gain access to mobile phones for the first time, despite prior restrictions from conservative families concerned about negative social media's influence. In Mongolia, children in herder households, particularly boys, faced barriers to distance education due to seasonal migration and farming, reflecting the reverse gender gap where girls outnumber boys at all educational levels.
In all three countries, remote mountainous villages suffer from poor infrastructure, lack of jobs, low incomes, and high labour migration. The pandemic worsened these challenges, with limited digital infrastructure and internet access compounded by families' declining socio-economic conditions. In Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, remoteness affected not only rural areas but also urban outskirts. In Mongolia, teachers reported major challenges for vulnerable children in Ulaanbaatar's Ger districts, including poor internet (84%), lack of devices (75%), and inadequate workspace (60%). In Kyrgyzstan, some parents noted how distance education removed some of the usual obstacles such as traveling long distances to school, resulting in fatigue, and pressure on parents to ensure their children reach school. However, in Mongolia, nomadic children struggled to participate in online lessons due to household chores and limited device access, while mining regions faced additional challenges as parents were occupied with work. In Tajikistan, regional disparities in digital readiness were stark, with the capital city outperforming other regions due to better internet access and resources.
The research explored identity primarily through the lens of language spoken at home. In all three countries, students from households where the state language was not spoken were less equipped for distance education. In Kyrgyzstan, 55% of students studying in Uzbek or Tajik bought a smartphone, and 39% received a tablet or laptop during distance learning, often accessing technology for the first time. In comparison, over 70% of students in Kyrgyz and Russian language schools already had devices before the pandemic. In Tajikistan, students who spoke Tajik and Russian at home were the most prepared for digital education, while the least prepared were those who spoke Pashto, Uzbek, or Kyrgyz. A lack of learning materials in minority languages further disadvantaged these students. In Kyrgyzstan, only Uzbek language course was available, with no Tajik language options. Similarly, in Tajikistan, no online materials were available in Uzbek, though Russian-speaking students could access resources from Russia.
Beyond the intersecting challenges of gender, geography, and identity, other vulnerability factors emerged. Digital inequities—such as unequal access to fast internet, devices, and digital skills—proved significant. Emotional and physical isolation from peers also posed challenges, limiting socialization and group work opportunities that in-person schooling facilitates. Distance education was especially hard for students from large or poor families, single-parent households, and younger students. These new vulnerabilities compounded pre-existing inequalities, reflecting trends seen globally during the pandemic.
This research underscores how limited access to devices and disparities in internet connectivity further exacerbated educational inequalities during the pandemic in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan, with children from rural, minority, and socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds facing the greatest barriers. The findings highlight the urgent need for tailored policy interventions that address these structural vulnerabilities, ensuring that digital solutions in education are inclusive and equitable, particularly for marginalized students. This study provides a foundation for efforts aimed at bridging digital divides and fostering resilience in education systems.

Authors

• Chinara Omurkulova, HSE University

• Zhyldyz Doolbekova, Taalim-Forum Public Foundation

• Almagul Osmonova, Taalim-Forum Public Foundation

• Emma Harden-Wolfson, McGill University