Load shedding has become a feature of our basic education system. Every two years between grades 10 and 12, we shed half of our cohort of learners. According to official statistics released by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) between choosing their matric subjects in 2012and leaving school after matric in 2014 precisely 553,368 children dropped out of school. The DBE knows that they exist and talks blandly about the need to address 'this problem', but unfortunately there's no solution for these kids - if they are just patient for a few years. They join an unemployable underclass, an amassing millions. Mark my words, they will make themselves felt in our politics in the years ahead.
Did you know?
We use alot of electricity in our daily lives. Not only do we use it at home, but a school uses a vast amount each day. Think about all the things in your school that use electricity, Do we need to use all of that electricity? If your school is like most, the answer is probably "NO".
In the 2008/2009 school year, a school used 1,143,740kWh of electricity! That means 205,873kg of Greenhouse Gases we released, that is equivalent to driving 63 cars an average amount during the same period! In short, we use a lot of electricity at our schools - making them a prime place to conserve. Here is how you do this:
Step 1 - Use your meter to measure several key appliances in your home or school, example (computers, televisions, microwaves, refrigerator, geyser, overhead projectors).
Step 2 - Use these measurements to create a plan to decrease your energy use at home or at school example, (turn off your computers at night, switch the geyser off during peak times.
Step 3 - Monitor and keep track of the changes you have made and the approximate savings on your electricity bill.