Power outage during exams has caused Students in Zimbabwe to be struggling to study for and write their exams as a result of a widespread power crisis that is expected to last into 2023.
Some students have been sleeping on their campuses in order to prepare for sit-down assessments and charge their study materials. Others have been required to write their exams in the dark.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), a power utility, has been forced to implement load-shedding schedules ranging from 18 to 22 hours due to the country’s power crisis, which is said to be related to the hydroelectric power generation capacity of the Kariba Dam. This has had an impact on homes, businesses, and educational establishments.
Munyaradzi Madambe, the acting registrar of the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), confirmed that the power went out earlier in December while students were taking exams, noting that the university frequently experiences power outages.
On December 6, we experienced a series of power outages. It’s unfortunate that someone took that photo of students writing in the dark during the 30-second transition from generator power to electricity provided by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority. He stated, “All of our venues have backup power.”
However, University World News was informed by the president of the UZ student representative council, Allan Chipoyi, that the power outages had a negative impact on students and raised concerns regarding the smooth transition to generator power.
The University of Zimbabwe is a significant institution that ought to always be prepared, despite the fact that we are aware that the power outage is a national emergency. Chipoyi stated, “It is regrettable that the institution has increased fees but is unable to provide students with basic amenities such as generators during examinations.”
Impact on Students Tinotenda Dzapasi, a sociology graduate from the University of Zambia, stated that the electricity situation had an effect on the mental health of students.
“Due to power outages, phones and laptops are frequently turned off… Reading time is disrupted because electricity arrives late. Dzapasi stated, “Students may be exposed to sleeping disorders by these erratic power outages.”
Rudaviro Zvigerenani, a first-year forensic accounting and auditing student at the Harare Institute of Technology, told University World News that she is afraid because the crisis appears to be getting worse and is affecting the education sector. Other students shared these sentiments.
The majority of university students require power. We have been making do by staying up until 10 p.m. or sleeping on campus while we wait for electricity to come on so that we can charge our phones and laptops. Our ability to concentrate in the examination room has been hampered as a result of this.
We are now compelled to submit handwritten assignments rather than uploading soft copies on Google Classroom, for instance, as a result of the crisis. It’s a shame because education 5.0 requires us to incorporate technology into our learning systems, making it extremely challenging for students, according to Rudaviro.
Another final-year chemical engineering student at the Harare Institute of Technology, Takudzwa Makayi, described the power situation in Zimbabwe as a “mournful situation” in which students are without electricity for 19 hours per day.
“Education 5.0 emphasizes industrialization and innovation and necessitates Wi-Fi, which is only functional when there is electricity.” Students must have access to dependable internet connections in order to participate in tertiary education, which can only be provided by electricity.
Nowadays, most education takes place online, which can only occur when the power grid is imminent. The majority of tertiary institutions ought to already have local solar power plants that can support themselves. He stated, “We have the brains to research and come up with alternatives.”
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