Solar Schools, Brighter Future

The Learning Revolution
By Samantha Dlomo, Grade 11 learner, Myeka High School, South Africa

Solar energy has not only changed my school life, it has brightened up my future as well. I am sixteen years old and have lived in the rural area for the past fourteen years. In all these past years I used a candle stick to study and do my homework. The chalkboard has been the mainstay teaching aid at school.

When a few solar panels were installed at school, I did not have even a faintest notion of how it was going to work. A few months later we received an overhead projector. That was the beginning of a new school experience. The following equipment was later received: 20 computers, 2 television sets and a video machine. Recently we have been connected to the Learning Channel Campus and the Internet through the satellite.

Learning is now going to be research orientated. That is we shall use worksheets and we shall use the Internet as the main source of information. In the past we spent much of our time copying notes from the chalkboard.

The school has set itself a new vision for the new millennium. By the year 2005 it wants to produce learners who will follow careers in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine and others. This was a far fetched dream a few years ago.

I have learnt that the electricity generated from coal and water is a hazard to our planet. On the other hand I have learned with amazement of how the use of solar electricity could save the world from pollution. I have taken a decision that I will do whatever it takes to contribute to the campaigns aimed at saving our planet from hazard of pollution.

Solar energy has brightened my future and it is destined to brighten the future of millions of others.

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