Schools might be closed for the winter holidays but loadshedding is still having an impact on learners in the Western Cape and across the country.

In a statement, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) said: “The winter break is a critical time for our students. Winter school and revision programmes are underway, which are especially important for our matrics as they count down the weeks until the National Senior Certificate exams.”

Loadshedding also affects learners who are at home but still need to be online. The WCED said: “Students accessing our ePortal resources from home are affected, with power cuts leaving both website servers and student’s homes without electricity. Online tutors must move from place to place to ensure that they are in an area not scheduled for a blackout when they hold their tutoring sessions. Even cell phone reception dips in some areas because loadshedding affects cell towers.”

“The Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute, which has a full programme of training for staff during the holidays, has also been significantly affected – particularly the ICT and online courses. The impact is not only felt on teaching and learning: meal times for programmes where students receive a meal have had to be moved around to times when electricity is available. Some of our Safe Schools programmes had to be postponed or cancelled. Staff at our district offices are frequently without internet connectivity or phone access.”

But the WCED said they are trying to future proof classrooms against the impact of loadshedding: “The Department has received 41 applications from schools thus far seeking approval for the installation of solar panels. Others are making plans to have emergency lighting and battery power in place during loadshedding.”