With the school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, social inequality in education became more evident as one of the most challenging problems in many EU countries. It became clear that digital teaching can increase educational inequalities and social exclusion. This is especially felt by students who are affected or threatened by disadvantages for various reasons. We know that one of the main obstacles for children to meet the expectations of schools is the economical and educational background of their families, much more than their migration history. When it came to home schooling, the availability of digital devices, reliable internet and a separate space for study turned out to be a main factor of educational progress.

The Erasmus+ project DigiEdu4All is looking at the exclusion that takes place when we use digital tools in the educational sector, how it can be avoided, and how all students can be addressed and included. The project consortium will develop tools and pedagogical answers to reduce the negative impacts of distance learning on educational equity, but - going beyond that - it aims at perceiving digital education as an opportunity to think out of the box and include new competencies and skills of students into the school practice. We want to provide training and tools for teachers to give a better understanding of their students’ needs and talents. Within a strategic partnership of four schools in Linz (AT), Vienna (AT, Verona (IT) and Sevilla (ES) in the field of higher vocational education and 3 NGOs working on Global Citizenship Education, supported by an experienced educational technology provider, the following questions will be reflected and elaborated in a 2-years process:

• What can we do to ensure that digital education opens up opportunities and does not close them?
• How can we meaningfully supplement the big efforts of schools to offer quality education for all students?
• How can we integrate the competencies that students bring with them, even if they don't fit into the regular school curriculum at first glance?
• What do we need to consider when designing lessons based on digital tools?