Bathabile – a success story

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Growing a school that the Department of Education threatened to close down, from 116 learners in 2005 to 636 in three years, takes a dedicated team and hard work. When Solly Kotu, the principal of Bathabile Primary School in Doornrandje, took over in 2005, he managed to persuade the Department to give Bathabile another chance. The result is impressive.

Because many of the learners are orphans, a large vegetable garden was created so that each learner could be given at least one nutritious meal a day. To cheer up the drab buildings, a new coat of paint was applied and flowers and a lawn were planted.

Local residents have pitched in to help, supplying manure, compost, labour and trees (planted by the learners on Arbour Day). Trevor Garbett, the RNC committee’s new member, sourced a computer to the delight of the staff who need to prepare educational material. Jan Hill (Doornrandje) arrived last week with a jungle gym, which had the little ones clambering over it in minutes. Other residents supplied old tyres, used in the veg garden for planting potatoes, and mulch to save on watering.


Bathabile School - Working together


Bathabile has undertaken to clean up the litter on the stretch of road running past the school. “That is one contribution we can make from our side to the local community,” says Solly Kotu. If you would like to support Bathabile, the following items will be welcome:

Paint; children’s clothes and shoes; books for the library; a laminating machine; cupboards, tables and chairs; an irrigation system for the veg garden; tanks to catch rainwater; shade cloth; more manure and compost; trees and seedlings (veg and flowers); internet; sports equipment; paving; floor tiles.

Items can be delivered to the school (tel 012 669 0857). There are clear directions from Skyview Garage on the R511. Or contact one of the RNC committee members.