A Samsung Solar Powered Internet School launched in 2014 at Refalletse Primary School in Orange Farm.
“We build for Africa, we create solutions that work with what we have, to help Africa move forward,” Abey Tau says. It’s this commitment that led Samsung to create an educational solution that is fundamentally designed to function in our harsh environment.
Their Solar Powered Internet Schools are exactly what the name implies. “With the abundance of sunlight it made sense to use it,” says Tau. Schools are built inside shipping containers that have been converted into classrooms. Solar panels power the unit, including the 24 laptops and tablets. The solar power allows for a classroom that uses less electricity; if there is no electricity at the school, the unit can be entirely self-sufficient. The container is also wind-resistant, and durable enough to survive extremes in temperature. To move, they are simply loaded onto a truck and transported to the next venue.
Devices are linked through wi-fi. An electronic e-board also allows the teacher to publish his or her writing on students’ screens.
The teacher’s laptop is also linked up, enabling sharing so that he or she can see what the students are working on. This hi-tech approach is enables a new type of student, equipping them to fit in with the modern world.
“Technology is part of today’s lifestyle and helping kids embrace it is part of their education. Learning like this means that their lives have been changed. Not only are they enhancing their knowledge, but they are embracing technology. Now, when they graduate and go to study, they will have computer experience to work from. It won’t be the first time they are working on a computer.”
The content provided relates to the local and national curriculum. Samsung partners with e-publishers to ensure that the preloaded information is relevant to the area, the curriculum and the needs of the children.
It’s a self-sufficient solution for the community and as such needs buy-in from the locals. “Government has helped us identify underserved communities, areas where people need it most,” says Tau. “The teacher needs to be dedicated and involved. There needs to be space for the school. The passion from the community is incredible. The changes are quick — the kids know how to use the technology and quickly adapt to working like this.
“We’ve had a wonderful response with one of the schools, Phomolong, Thembisa. We’ve walked the journey with them and seen how they’ve been able to get to a 100% pass rate. This makes it worth it. It’s great to see how they embraced it and have made it work for them.
“Working like this, the children have become aware of what the future holds — and how easy it is to change it. Hopefully the difference will inspire corporates to come forward and we can work on this going forward.”