Lack of Stable Electricity Supply in Schools
High cost, constant interruptions, and daily power outages for several hours pose difficult challenges to those involved in education in many African countries. Power shortages interrupt learning processes, impede children's access to information and deprive staff of using effective learning management systems.
Challenge Description
Taking into account the high cost and low affordability of PCs coupled with poverty (according to the UNCTAD 2021 estimations, nearly 490 million people in Africa lived under the poverty line of 1.9 PPP$ per day), computer classes in schools remain one of the few opportunities to introduce children to computing and digital literacy.
This is a top priority both at the national and at the regional levels given the large share of youth in Africa (more than 60% of the total population is under 25) and the increasing demand for a digitally skilled workforce. According to the 2019 IFC report, more than 230 million jobs will require some digital skills, whilst other researches, like the one conducted by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), forecast even higher values (some 650 million jobs). According to the joint study by the IFC and the World Bank, the demand for digitally skilled workforce in 5 countries – Nigeria, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoir, Mozambique, and Rwanda will exceed 57 million jobs by 2030.
Thus, in the AU Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa for the period 2020-2030 developing digital skills is indicated among the foundation pillars for successful digital transformation of the continent. With this target, the Strategy includes provision of adequate technology equipment for educational institutions.
With understanding of the aforementioned, many African countries are introducing smart classrooms in schools and universities with the aim of integrating IT at all levels of education, including the non-IT subjects, and developing IT-literate workforce. The Kenyan (in partnership with Devotra and CreateView Edu-Tech Co. Ltd) and the Rwandan (in collaboration with UNICEF and Microsoft) initiatives serve as examples.
However, the lack of infrastructure, unequal distribution of Internet access along with unstable electricity supply hinder the digitalisation of schools and promotion of digital literacy as well as deprive children of information and learning opportunities. Based on the latest available data presented by the African Development Bank, more than 40% of Africans (or 640 million people) do not have access to electricity (about 85% of urban dwellers have access to electricity whereas in rural areas the value stands at 35%). In Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the 2023 UNCTAD report, the share of the population with no access to electricity exceeds 50%.
Apart from the general lack of access to electricity in schools (the 2017 UNESCO Institute for Statistics study indicated that only 35% primary schools in Sub-Saharan Africa had access to electricity), erratic power supply and widespread grid outages remain a frequent challenge for most households and institutions. As per the 2022 report by Afrobarometer, only 43% of the respondents have a relatively stable electricity supply. The value varies greatly (e.g., 98% in Mauritius and 5% in Malawi), and for rural areas it stands at 24%.
This, in particular, played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic leading to disruption of the learning process in African countries and failure to provide online classes for students. Unequal access to electricity in case of education also exacerbates social inequalities in the long-term.
Solutions
While the power supply within a country rests in a energy/power ministry mandate and the power supply to schools in particular is the ministries of education concern, a ministry/agency responsible for the digital development is advised to develop and introduce the unified and flexible technical requirements for the digitization of schools enabling them to cope with challenges.
The requirements enabling cost reduction and energy-saving will facilitate fundraising for the schools digitization widening also the range of affordable technical solutions for the power supply of schools.
Among the solutions available is the autonomous solar generation along with other renewable energy sources, both in combination with fuel cells and using conventional batteries as storage devices.
Power of solar units is limited and imposes tight restrictions on the amount of devices in use. While the average computer consumes 200 watts per hour (160 watts system unit and 40 watts monitor), the power of the units does not exceed 3 kW which is enough to support no more than 15 computers at once. Some solutions, like ASTER multiseat software, address this challenge by allocating computer resources according to the needs of users connected to it. Since the power of modern computers in most cases is excessive for a single user, a multi-user system can be set up based on one computer.
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Applying for international assistance programmes can help allocate the funding required for providing schools with equipment and technologies.
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Regional integration of national utilities and electricity networks is also among the possible solutions to the challenge as African countries are endowed with diversified and affordable renewable energy sources (e.g., apart from the high levels of solar radiation in Southern Africa and Sahel, hydropower in Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zambia). Synchronisation of national power systems could not only cut costs of power transmission, but also contribute to the reliability of energy systems and foster implementation of joint energy projects. However, until now national power grids are rarely synchronised.
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Establishing a mutually beneficial public-private partnership in the field as well as granting an enabling environment and incentives for investors and private business can boost school electrification and digitalisation as well.
Russia’s Experience
To spur the digitalisation of education, a number of initiatives were adopted by the government, including the government project "Digital Educational Environment" developed in 2019 and the national programme "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation". As a result, over the period 2021-2022 IT infrastructure was provided for more than 9 thousand educational organisations, over 31 thousand surveillance cameras and 9 thousand video recorders were installed.
The national information system My school was implemented under the "Digital Educational Environment'' project as well. The system allows access to personal accounts, grades, assignments, a unified e-library which offers students books and online classes, as of today over 6.5 thousand educational materials were published. Moscow E-School is also worth mentioning among the cutting-edge IT solutions for schools.
[Power Supply in Russia]
Whilst, according to the World Bank, the rate of electrification in Russia stands at 100%, to achieve this goal in 1998-2008 the Russian Electricity Reform was conducted with a focus on developing institutional and regulatory frameworks, attracting private investment to the sector, and stimulating commissioning the required generating capacity and market competition. The 2001 Decision "On the Restructuring of the Russian Federation Unified Energy System" resulted in launching the Unified Energy System (UES) which today consists of 71 regional energy systems forming seven interconnected power systems. The UES includes 911 power plants with a capacity of more than 5 MW each.
As of 2022, hydroelectric power stations accounted for about 19% of energy generated in the UES. Over the period 2008-2022 hydroelectric power generation increased by 26% reaching 52 754 MW. The installed capacity of solar power plants reached 1948 MW in 2022, while wind power plants capacity exceeded 2000 MW. The government, as stated in the Energy Strategy to 2035, is committed to developing policies and environment that support investment in the sector, innovations, and education with the aim of increasing the share of renewable energy.
Power provision for social facilities including schools and kindergartens, especially in rural areas, is among the priorities (e.g., latest cases in Belgorod and Tyumen Regions).
Russia also has extensive experience in regional energy cooperation, given that the Russian UES operates in connection with the power grids of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mongolia, and Estonia. With DC lines the electricity from Russia is transmitted to the power grids of China (through the 500 kV Amurskaya - Heihe line), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and other countries.
Case 1. Uganda
According to the World Bank, Uganda remains among the low-income countries and in 2021 ranked 227th in the world in terms of GDP per Capita and 217th by GDP per Capita, PPP. As of 2023, according to the World Bank, the poverty rate (measured by the international poverty line at 2.15$/day) stands at 41.4%.
Despite the fact that the Nile River flows through its territory and the first hydroelectric power station was built in 1946, as of 2020 according to the World Bank, only 42% of the country was electrified. Only 33% of the rural population has electricity. Still, turning on electrical appliances without a stabiliser can lead to a power outage as the voltage and frequency are constantly ‘fluctuating’.
Аs of 2022, more than 17 thousand primary schools in Uganda were not electrified, as counted by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. However, some schools switch to renewable energy such as solar panels and solar power systems, often supported by international organisations such as the GIZ. Yet, the number of such cases remains limited.
Some Russian IT companies, such as IBIK, have also successfully introduced their solutions and products to the Ugandan market improving students’ access to stable power supply and enabling the establishment of computer classes.
Case 2. South Africa
Eventhough the electricity access rate in South Africa in 2020 stood at 84%, local schools struggle to ensure stable electricity supply due to the ongoing power crisis and loadshedding by Eskom.
As the crisis worsens, in 2022 South Africa saw 205 days with rolling blackouts, and so far in 2023 they are becoming longer reaching 4.5 hour one and leaving citizens without power supply for 12 hours per day. This affects all parts of the society including educational institutions, and the South African Department of Basic Education provided a number of schools with generators.
Many schools in South Africa turn to solar power as well, and the SA Ministry of Education grants assistance for these initiatives. For instance, 41 schools in Western Cape province were provided with solar systems after applying to the Ministry in 2022.
Author:
Olesya Kalashnik, research fellow
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