Learning Loss: A Real Threat in Education for Underprivileged Students and Remote Regions during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims to describe the real threat of learning loss for underprivileged students and remote areas, due to school closures and distance learning in Riau Province, Indonesia. On the other hand, keeping students safe from the dangers of the COVID-19 virus is the main factor. Distance learning is a solution to this dilemma, but it is very difficult for underprivileged students and remote regions to implement, because: 1) Students have never used various educational technology platforms in distance learning 2) Do not have a smartphone and mobile data plans 3) Internet signal in remote areas is not good for distance learning. The results of this study describe, when distance learning was first implemented, as many as 75 % of 206 underprivileged students and ten schools experienced difficulties when using educational technology platforms for distance learning. However, after two years, there has been an increase in the participation of underprivileged students in distance learning. In addition, it has become a habit, subsidized mobile data plans from the government, adaptive curricula and variations in learning methods when distance learning, have become important factor in increasing the participation of underprivileged students and remote regions.