A last-minute power outage notice left a primary school scrambling to adjust its schedule, raising concerns about the electricity provider's lack of clear communication.

Meanwhile, a prominent college has also been struggling because of the power outages.

“It’s very irresponsible to put out a notice that the power’s going to be off and then we act upon that… and then today, the power’s still here,” said Manuula Matoka, Peace Chapel Primary School's secretary and administrator.

Matoka said she was disappointed and criticised the sudden notice that forced Peace Chapel Primary School to cut its school hours short on Wednesday. The school had planned to close at 12:30 pm, anticipating a full-day outage. Even when the power remained on, administrators chose not to reverse their decision, as it would have been challenging to notify staff and parents on such short notice.

“We have to squeeze in our subjects. We have to move things around to make it work today,” Matoka explained, emphasising the disruption to students’ learning.

The school, which serves students from Year 1 to Year 7, has a preschool and does not have a generator. Matoka along with the school staff had discussions the night before to cut school short. 

"The school children are much younger, they can not sit still, especially when the power does not work," said Matoka.

When asked if the school has a working generator, Matoka confirmed that the school does not have one.

“We’re looking into connecting the school to the church generator because it’s a big generator that can carry the load,” Matoka said, noting that a backup power source would help prevent future disruptions.

The school has so far relied on photocopying materials at the church and using phone flashlights in dark rooms to continue operations when power is lost.

Matoka whose husband works in the electrical industry acknowledged the challenges of power line maintenance but placed the blame on poor decision-making at the management level.

“I understand the hardship of the job, the dangers that come with it, but I know it’s not the normal workers, it’s not the employees—it’s the management that makes the choices.”

Frustration among school staff and parents continues to grow as power outages remain unpredictable.

“There’s no trust built in the words they say now because they say one thing, and then they don’t tell us if it changes two or three times a day,” she said.

Matoka hopes for better planning and communication from the authorities, stressing that the unreliable electricity supply affects schools, businesses, and the entire community.

In Alafua, St Joseph's College has had its fair share of problems which is also affecting teacher's abilities to do marking at home.

"Power is essential, especially for students' education. Many classes, including computer classes, have had to revert to using the blackboard due to power outages. Our computer classrooms are usually air-conditioned, but without electricity, we have had to open windows so that the rooms are cooler," said the school's deputy principal Iasa Lisale.

"Unfortunately, our school does not have a generator to provide backup power. I used to take schoolwork home to mark, but now I can’t even do that because the power goes out at home as well.

"Students should be using daylight hours to focus on their studies while there is daylight before the blackouts, but instead, many use the available electricity to charge their phones and play PUBG but you would think they would charge their phones for education purposes."