Some schools in Gauteng say they will have to raise their own funds to buy alternative sources of energy amid the high levels of power cuts.
An empty classroom. Picture: © smolaw11/123rf.com
JOHANNESBURG – Some schools in Gauteng say they will have to raise their own funds to buy alternative sources of energy amid the high levels of power cuts.
The provincial education department said that it was ready for the first day of the 2023 academic year, with almost 100% of new grade ones and eight students having been placed at schools and over 130,000 grade ones will be breaking in their first pair of school shoes from Wednesday.
Scores of students started lining up as the clock struck 7:30am and the school bell rang, signifying the first lesson of 2023.
However, power outages hit some schools on Wednesday morning due to rolling blackouts.
The principal of Craighall Primary School, Andrea Prout Jones, said that they would have to source alternative energy options for the school year.
“We have an inverter now so that we can have wi-fi and continue with the communication aspect but other than that it’s a problem. There so much that needed to be done today, so load shedding is a major, major aspect, not just no lights, no internet in the classrooms.”
With some schools moving over into the digital realm, wi-fi is critical to access online textbooks and content for some classes.
Despite power cuts, the schools reported no other complications on the first day of the term.
POWER CUT PAIN
Meanwhile, some grade one parents at Craighall Park said that the only complication they faced as the first day kicked off was getting their kids ready in the dark this morning.
Power cuts affected the area from 6am to 8am on Wednesday morning, crucial hours for readying students for the day.
Some parents said that the power cuts made their children’s first day at school even more memorable.
“For me, it doesn’t really make that much of a difference because by 6 I’m done with lunchboxes, I’m done with breakfast,” one parent said.
“It was hectic in the morning, especially with coming to school – most of the robots were out, there was a lot of traffic and we had to deal with all of that,” another parent explained.
“It was such a pain for me to prepare them. We did not have power from 6 and to get them back into the groove was such a pain. It was so inconsiderate. They [Eskom] should have at least given us some time to get used to being back at school,” a parent lamented.
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