Aboriginal students and the digital divide

There has been much discussion recently of a so-called digital divide (Norris and Conceicao, 2004; OECD 2000). This term refers to a new form of social inequality based on differential access to information technology (IT). It has been found, for example, that only 22.8 percent of female-headed lone parent families in the U.S. have internet access compared to 51 percent of all other households (Norris and Conceicao, 2004). Only 49 percent Aboriginal households in Canada have a computer compared to 73 percent of other households (cited in Looker and Thiesen, 2003). African-Americans have fewer computers at all income levels than do whites (Norris and Conceicao, 2004). This problem is potentially quite serious for future employment seekers because opportunity is increasingly expected to depend on IT knowledge and skills (Beaudin and Breau, 2001). In places like Manitoba, where much of the growth in the labour force will consist of Aboriginal participants (Loewen, et al 2005), this digital inequality also has a demographic dimension. Not only will individuals be affected by unequal access to computer knowledge but differential opportunities may have implications for the whole economy.