EXPRESS: Remote Learning and Educational Inequality

Educational equity serves as a cornerstone for a fair and flourishing society. However, existing research consistently highlights the presence of educational disparities between developed and developing regions. Remote learning, a transformative educational approach altering knowledge dissemination and access, takes center stage. Our study delves into the potential of remote learning to bridge this educational divide. Analyzing students’ performance in China’s National College Entrance Examination from 2018 to 2020, we exploit the pandemic-induced shift to remote learning as an external catalyst. Employing a difference-in-differences methodology, we gage remote learning’s impact on performance gaps across regions. Our findings illuminate a marked enhancement in learning outcomes for students in developing regions, surpassing their counterparts in developed ones. Furthermore, we unearth that the digital divide in access to technological resources constrains remote learning’s efficacy in reducing educational disparities. Our study underscores remote learning’s implications and underscores the pivotal role of digital technology capabilities.