The pace of consequential developments in digital technology enables advances across every field of human affairs, including education. Digital technology focused on enhancing the learning experience and outcomes for diverse learners in terms of their needs, abilities, limitations, and readiness to engage in the digital environment is critical for an enduring social transformation for a sustainable and better future. However, those who may seek to accelerate the adoption of digital technology for value creation and reaching better outcomes for individuals and collective good may be wary of the accessibility, inclusivity, and fairness of new technologies. In other words, the digital divide, as opposed to digital inclusion, has become a significant ethical and human rights issue in many schooling systems. Indeed, lack of access to digital technology can exacerbate already existing gaps, disproportionately affecting students from low-income households and vulnerable groups. Thus, identifying and managing the rising consequential risks in relation to ethics and human rights has become a mandatory obligation for educational researchers and policymakers. This study aimed to examine (1) whether accessibility to computers in school had an impact on manifestation of disparities in students’ mathematics and science achievements, and (2) whether gender disparities in mathematics and science achievements exist, and if so, do these disparities relate to the lack of computer accessibility and students’ socioeconomic status as indicated by home resources for learning. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 dataset for the Kosovo national sample of participants from 145 schools was used to conduct a secondary data analysis. Results showed that students’ accessibility to computers in school had a significant impact on mathematics achievement and science achievement, indicating higher scores for those students who had access to computers for learning. Moreover, gender disparities were observed to be significant both in math and science achievements. While boys achieved higher scores in math, girls, on the other hand, achieved higher scores in science compared to boys. These patterns were constant even when controlling for learning resources in students’ homes. Findings suggest unequal and limited opportunities for access that students had to computers for their learning in school. Evidence of a digital divide is apparent in students’ achievement outcomes in both mathematics and science. Gender disparities in math and science achievements may be also attributed to discriminatory societal stereotypes, such as expectations and attitudes for gender roles. Lack of technology-related resources for education and learning purposes in the digital age is a serious violation of human rights. It behooves policymakers to make closing this divide a priority so that supplying schools with technological infrastructure can complement teachers’ work with an ultimate goal toward educational benefits for all students, regardless of their achievement level, ability, gender, and background.

Keywords: Education equality, inclusion, digital divide, barriers to learning, ethics, human rights, STEM education.