Company Announcement - Curro  schools are using generators, supplied and installed by Master Power Technologies,  to  ensure  their  electronic  learning environments are not “left in the dark” when the mains power is cut. Curro  owns  a  number  of  private  schools  around  South Africa that are dedicated  to providing a world-class education to all grades at affordable prices.  The  Curro  vision  is  to  deliver  quality  education  based  on international  best  practices.  Currently  the group operates more than 40 schools schools, with more in the pipeline.

Based   on  international  best  practise  and  the  need  for  sustainable educational  processes, Curro has embarked on a process of moving away from paper-based  education where possible. It is therefore making use of tablet computers  to  ensure  its  learners  and  teachers  have access to all the information they require. These  tablet  computers  link  to  each  school’s  computer  network via a wireless  network  which  is  also  dependant  on  electricity  to function properly.  However,  despite  the  tablets  having   a  built in battery to sustain  them,  the  wireless  routers  instantly switch off during a power outage,  leaving the learners without communications to the schools servers and the information they need to access.

“Unfortunately, tablets still require electricity to recharge.” says Robert Brandt, regional sales manager at Master Power Technologies. “Batteries run out of power and with rolling blackouts becoming a fact of life once again, Curro has to ensure both the tablets and the electronic equipment they link to are not rendered useless each time the power dies.”

To  ensure  learners and teachers have access to the resources they need at all  times,  Curro retained Master Power Technologies to install generators at  its  schools  to  ensure  a stable supply of power to all its computing requirements.  Brandt says four schools had generators installed before the end of 2014, and the project will continue in 2015.

Paperless education is the future as all the learners need is a tablet. All their  textbooks  can  be  downloaded to the devices along with their class work, making it easier to keep abreast of everything on the syllabus and to collaborate  with  each  other.  However,  electronic  devices and Internet access  depend  on  electricity.  Without  a  stable electrical supply, the tablets  become  useless  after  only  a  few hours. With the assistance of Master  Power  Technologies, Curro schools are embracing the future, whilst ensuring  teachers  and  their  learners  are not left in the dark when the lights go out.