Arcadia Primary School, held an event last week to help raise funds for some of the school’s needs.
Principal Gavin van der Speck, who has been at the school for 41 years, 21 as said the no-fee school needs funds to keep running successfully.
He said most of their pupils’ parents were unemployed, which meant they were exempt from paying school fees. As a result, the school has to host events to raise funds.
The school needs funds to improve and maintain the school building and gardens, and to buy teaching and learning equipment such as educational books, charts and toys, crayons, etc.
Mr Van der Speck said they would also like to re-open the school library which had not been operational for two years as it was being used as a classroom due to a lack of space.
He said because of gang violence can erupt at any time, pupils need a safe space to do research and work on their projects and develop a love for reading as well.
“We will need books for this. We also need better computers because the ones that we have now are very slow, the pupils get frustrated, and when they eventually get into the programme, the lesson is over.
“The community is welcome to make monetary donations but we are also appealing to companies to come on board and make donations,” he said.
Among the fund-raisers the school has hosted, was one held on Wednesday May 17, which saw pupils paying R5 each to attend school in their pyjamas and slippers.
However, said Mr Van der Speck, not many children came dressed in their pyjamas or were able to pay the R5.
“Some parents just can’t afford it. The school, however, is compelled to host fund-raisers throughout the year to try and bring in some money,” he said.