DIGITAL INCLUSION AND TECHNOLOGICAL INEQUALITY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Abstract

This article sought to analyze the challenges and prospects of digital inclusion in public schools in the 21st century, with an emphasis on the technological inequalities that permeate the educational system. Based on a qualitative and theoretical-documentary approach, based on authors of critical education and data from official reports, the study shows that the insertion of technologies in public schools has been marked by structural inequalities, fragmented policies, and a lack of institutional continuity. The article discusses the historical panorama of educational digitalization, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to technologies, the precariousness of school infrastructure, gaps in teacher training, and the limits of current public policies. It is argued that digital inclusion should be understood as an educational right and an instrument of social justice, going beyond the mere distribution of equipment. It is concluded that true digital inclusion requires systemic planning, sustainable financing, and innovative pedagogical practices that promote the critical autonomy of subjects in the face of contemporary digital culture.