Solar Power Boosts Academic Excellence At Rural Schools

Solar Power Boosts Academic Excellence At Rural Schools

It's 12:30pm as an emergency bell rings at Mtunduru Secondary School in Ikungi district's Sepuka division in Singida region. Students respond hurriedly by converging at the assembly ground where the School Headmaster, Mr Eliamini Muna, introduces to them the visiting journalists-- thereafter the school timetable continues. Some students convene in a huge room in the administration block, each with a pen and an exercise book.

Teacher Muna switches on the computer and plays a science subject CD for the students. That was something never dreamt of at the school until February 19, 2012. Not only there was no a single computer at the school but also there was no electricity to power the gadget.

"I moved to this school early last year (2012) when the school had no electricity. And, as you can see, this place is very far from town--it's about 30 kilometres from Singida.

I first thought about installing the solar power but I was informed the school used to have it," says Mr Muna, adding: "After staying for some few days, came one man who introduced himself as Azaria, saying he had been assigned by REA (Rural Energy Agency) to install solar power at our school. He promised to come back in two weeks and indeed he came, and here is the power that he installed."

Mr Muna says it was great lucky to him that the school had power installed few days after his arrival at the school, "Many people in the village here believe that it was me who came with the electricity... but, I didn't."

The school head says the availability of power has had great contribution to the learning process at the school because instead of pupils roaming the streets during the evening, they now enter classes for self studies and sometimes with their teachers. "Even day students these days come back to school for self studies during the evening... this is a good thing because they are using more time studying than it used to be.

I think this kind of strategy is critical to improving education in areas not connected to the national grid," says teacher Muna. Form three students Abdallah Juma Sudi and Zaituni Hamis Barnaba concur that electricity supply has improved learning environment at the school. Abdallah says unlike the previous environment that was unfriendly to studying, "Currently, even day students come back for evening studies while boarding students wake up early in the morning for self studies."

Zaituni says they previously had to use batterycharged lamps and most of the time they could not afford buying batteries at the expense of studies. But, now students have limitless access to light for studying. Following the availability of electricity service, says Mr Muna, there has been an increase in the number of parents requesting to transfer their children to the school--some from the distant villages.

Not only students are benefiting from available power, but teachers too have acquired computers to simplify their works, according to the head teacher. Another ward secondary school--Mwaru--in the same division but located some 60 kilometres from Singida town had also the privilege of getting the solar power and after installation, says the School Headmaster Salustian Anthony, the locals now call it 'Uzunguni.'

"There is good light and the place becomes very attractive during the night and that is why people call this place Uzunguni," he says. Teacher Anthony's pride in electricity is the increased study time for his 69 students who now come back to school during the evening to join their colleagues who are on boarding for studies. He believes that soon the form four results would start changing because of the electricity supply.

"The first year for form four students at the school was 2009, we had no single student in division one and two. There were three students with division three and all proceeded with advanced studies. "In 2010, we had one division two scorer and in 2011 two students passed with division three. But, now that we have power, I believe the pass rate will increase because students have more time for studies," says Teacher Anthony.

For Uchile secondary school in Laela ward in Sumbawanga Rural, the installation of solar power has reduced the huge cost of buying oil for the generator that students had to use for night studies. The School Headmistress, Sister Neusta Nyandwi says right now the time for students' self studies has increased as they enter into classes at 7:30 through 10:00pm, unlike previously when studies relied much on availability of oil for the generator.

"Even students who stay far from school have solarpowered lamps for studies. But, most importantly, we have more confidence in the use of our science laboratories, especially that of physics," she says. Another benefit accrued from the solar power, according to Sister Nyandwi, is the opportunity teachers have to recharge their mobile phones and prepare their examinations without any inconvenience.

"We haven't allowed people from outside to come and charge their (mobile) phones here because we think that could create unnecessary inconveniences to the academic programmes in the school," says the school head.

REA, in collaboration with other partners, has supported the installation of solar power systems in various areas in the country, including 15 schools in Chato and Biharamulo districts as well as benefiting over 2,500 people. The agency has also supported distribution of solar-power lamps to students in Mwanza region.