Plan for home schooling
LOAD SHEDDING: POWER CUTS CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE ALL YOUR GOALS
Make sure you do not lose electricity in the middle of an important lesson.
With the further delay of the school’s reopening, a lot more parents are strongly considering home schooling.
Some parents who started with home schooling last year have committed to this style of learning. Private schools are also putting measures in place that will allow for remote learning.
The country is facing a big electricity crisis, and load shedding has once again become the order of the day.
Using computers and the internet requires electricity, so how will children continue learning effectively from home with no electricity?
According to the most recent reports, the country will remain on Level 2 load shedding “until further notice.”
Eskom has also said that there will be no end to intermittent load shedding for the foreseeable future as the power entity battles to repair its damaged infrastructure.
Here are six practical suggestions to help families navigate these crazy times:
Know your load shedding schedule
Nothing catches you off guard than an unexpected power outage that will most likely find you in the middle of something very important.
So, to make sure that you do not lose power in the middle of an important lesson with a virtual teacher.
You can check your schedule on Apps like:
EskomSePush load shedding app.
You can also access the schedule for Eskom, or check the City Power schedule.
Download content you can use offline
A lot of remote learning platforms allow you to download lessons, notes, and homework. You can access this content offline, meaning you do not need internet access.
This will ensure that school can still go on even if electricity is off during school hours.
Purchase an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)
A UPS device serves as a WiFi backup during a power outage.
When load shedding strikes, you can still have access to the internet from your normal router for up to two devices (this may differ according to which device you use).
The backup can range from three to 10 hours, depending on the device, or package you choose from a service provider.
You can also get a UPS that will just run your internet for the time that load shedding is off.
If you have a laptop with a decent battery this should help ensure you’re still able to continue with lessons.
Schedule activities that do not require electricity
Not every family is technically inclined enough to figure out a way around outages or can afford to.
In this case, it is better to schedule activities that will not require any power if electricity goes out during school hours. These could include:
▶ Physical training
▶ Arts and crafts
▶ Reading
▶ Learning a new skill (gardening, sewing, etc)
▶ Start a passion project
Be the teacher
This is the biggest reason why a lot of parents do not consider home schooling. The anxiety of teaching your children may be too overwhelming for some.
It is even more challenging for parents that have fulltime jobs and are still expected to deliver during this time.
It will not be an everyday thing, as the load shedding schedule differs.
At times, tough challenges require bold solutions.