Investigating the Role of Virtual Education in Reproducing Educational Inequality in the Corona

The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of virtual education in reproducing educational inequality during the Corona virus epidemic.. The research method is descriptive-analytical. Thus, in the first step, the challenges of e-learning in the country are analyzed, then the challenges in reproducing educational inequality in the Corona period are analyzed. The most important challenges of e-learning are distributing resources and facilities (spatial), the economic challenge, the gender challenge and the cultural challenge. Findings show that each of the challenges in the field of formal and public education has led to educational inequality. The challenge of distributing resources and facilities has led to lower quality of education in disadvantaged areas compared to the regions. The economic challenge has also created a class gap between deprived and privileged areas due to the low income level of people in deprived areas and the high cost of virtual educational aids. Gender challenges due to unequal use between men and women, most women have limitations in using e-learning. The cultural challenge is also due to the fact that the ruling classes have a larger share of cultural capital than other classes and are more able to deposit this type of capital in their children. The results show that the education system in the face of the challenges should consider measures and mechanisms, because until the challenges of advancing virtual education in the formal and public education systems are not addressed , educational inequalities cannot be eliminated.