Right to Internet Access for the Development of Online Education in Sri Lanka during Covid-19: A Comparative Analysis of Finland, France and India

Abstract

At present it is evident that Covid-19 has created a significant negative impact on the education of children. This problem has caused a huge impact on undergraduates and Advanced Level students in rural areas. Therefore, this research identified whether there are sufficient laws to protect the right to online education of children in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research problem is whether the prevailing laws in Sri Lanka are sufficient to safeguard the right to online education of children during COVID-19 by ensuring the right to internet access. The objectives of this research are to identify the impact of COVID-19 on the education of children and whether the Sri Lankan legal framework is sufficient to address such issues, and to propose necessary amendments to the existing legal regime to fill the gaps. The methodology of this research is a blend of qualitative and quantitative methods. Further, the study is a combination of black letter methodology and comparative research methodology. Moreover, this research employed a qualitative analysis of primary data as well as secondary data where primary data was gathered using a questionnaire distributed among the undergraduates of University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Eastern University. Finally, the research concludes with a view that the existing domestic laws are insufficient to address the issues in online education of children during COVID-19 pandemic in order to achieve equal access to internet.