According to the IFS Education report, from the age of five there are significant differences in achievement at school. Only 57% of children who are eligible for free school meals are assessed as having a good level of development in meeting early learning goals, compared with 74% of children from better off households.

These inequalities persist through primary school, into secondary school and beyond. According to Universities UK, in 2021 24% of UK 18-year-olds from low participation neighbourhoods (POLAR4 quintile 1) were accepted to study for a full-time undergraduate degree through UCAS. Despite this being a higher number than previous years, it’s still not representative of British society, where around 49% of the population is considered working class.

So how can the British education system improve inequality in its system? The answer may lie in EdTech.

EdTech offers extracurricular support

Extracurricular activity is seen as an important factor when it comes to academic success. Lots of studies have been conducted on the relationship between extracurricular activities and academic performance, they all show that students who participate in them have higher grades, more positive attitudes toward school and higher academic aspirations.

However, with a UK teacher staffing crisis, extracurricular activities are simply off the cards for many schools, with many staff devoting any extra time to marking and lesson planning. EdTech has the power to enable students to take part in extracurricular activities by embracing the power of remote learning and international collaboration. Whether it’s debating, taking part in art classes, or playing chess, or even learning entrepreneurial skills, many of these activities can be done online and remotely from the comfort of their own home. With EdTech as the facilitator, these activities can be taught in a way that measures skill-building and demonstrate how these skills link to academic success. All the student needs to have is internet access.

EdTech strengthens engagement

EdTech allows teachers to deliver course content in non-traditional ways, which can help to increase engagement amongst students. The traditional teaching method is often a one-way form of communication, whereas EdTech requires students to engage in the content they’re consuming.  For instance, software that requires students to answer questions by selecting an answer from a list, or to engage with an interactive video. Studies have shown that this type of interactive learning can improve engagement, analytical skills, critical thinking skills and increase attention span.

This approach helps to engage students from all different backgrounds, not only to ensure they’re retaining what they’re learning but they’re actually thinking about the information they’re absorbing.

EdTech delivers real-time skill analysis

Measuring performance and ability is the key requirement to test whether children are meeting educational goals set by authorities. While teachers’ perception is valuable and necessary in this analysis, it’s also susceptible to human bias and judgement. In fact, according to a study by the American Educational Research Journal, some teachers show bias in praising more privileged students.

EdTech has the ability to combat this issue by measuring students on their knowledge and skills only - free from human bias. Coupled with teacher feedback, EdTech has the power to measure student ability more accurately.

EdTech delivers the opportunity to truly level the playing field when it comes to education systems, not only in Britain, but around the world. Those who choose to adopt more progressive means of teaching will be the ones who reap the rewards and also benefit society worldwide.