Dr Knak Primary School situated in the centre of Alexandra township, is a state-owned public junior school for 1597 students and has a staff compliment of 39 teachers.
The school was built in 1899 and continues to strive towards ensuring that continuous quality teaching and learning occurs in the classrooms, at home and through extra-curricular activities, by providing its pupils with the necessary resources and support.
Dr Knak Primary currently has a Grade 7 pass rate of 79%. Although they do not have space for a playground at the school, extra mural programmes are run off-site and includes soccer, athletics, rugby, tennis, cricket and netball.
The school runs a daily nutrition programme for the learners providing them with meals in the morning and afternoon. For many this is the only food they get for the day. Food parcels are prepared for children who have been identified as vulnerable and need the extra assistance in terms of food, clothing and other necessities.
Presently, Dr Knak has well-structured policies and procedures in place. Buildings and furniture are adequate and ground maintenance is ongoing. Classrooms are small and with the growing number of learners placed by the Department of Education, space is a challenge for both learners and teachers.
There is a fully functional and involved School Governing Body at the school who meet regularly. Learner progress is monitored and evaluated carefully by the teachers and Intervention programs are in place to support struggling achievers.
There are several community volunteers involved with the school and a good relationship exists with local services including clinics and the police. They often visit the school to talk about their services with the children.
RADA was introduced to Dr Knak Primary School in March 2022 and decided that it was a place we could assist and support going forward. With the help of sponsors, we are now providing food to the school and the extended feeding programme involving the vulnerable children attending the school. RADA will continue to assess and assist with the needs of the school, its staff, the children and the community.
