Durban — A legacy of education and respect is what Briardene Primary School principal Leonard “Lenny” Bowes, 64, is leaving behind.
Daily News caught up with Bowes at his school as he celebrated both his birthday and significant milestones: 24 years as a principal and 43 years in teaching.
Bowes recalled that when he started teaching at the school on September 1, 2000, it had just 436 students and a few classrooms.
Through his persistent efforts in seeking donations, he secured funding from notable organisations such as the Oprah Foundation and Johnson & Johnson Medical, as well as support from the Jewish community, local business owners, and other community members.
“In those days there were no emails so I had to fax and worked at my office until late in the evening.
“I told myself that I would not give up. I did not want the classes named after me but the donors found it necessary to leave that legacy,” he said.
Now the school has 991 pupils and 11 classes built by donors, a library, new toilets, a car park and a computer laboratory.
Bowes described the journey as challenging due to the school’s location in a historically disadvantaged area. The learners come from low-income households in KwaMashu, Inanda, Ntuzuma, and nearby informal settlements, which also face numerous social issues, including English being a second language for many.
However, Bowes finds pride in the pupils who have grown up to achieve success, some in the medical, political and business fields.
He said that when he meets up with them they attribute their success to the foundational lessons of respect and duty they had learnt at his school.
The highlight of his career was when he won the Kader Asmal Lifetime Achievement Award earlier this year, he said. Although the school’s academic results are good, they also play sports such as soccer, and have been selected to represent the province, he said.
His next project before he retires next year is to build a computer laboratory that will offer the pupils first-hand experience with the theory in science class.
“Many of the pupils are not exposed to the internet or these experiences,” he said.
Many parents have expressed their sadness over his retirement but Bowes assured them that the school will continue to flourish. He shared that throughout his journey, his wife, Debbie Bowes, a director of an NGO, along with his son, Linden Bowes, a labour attorney, and his daughter, Lynelle Bowes, a paediatric specialist, have been his pillars of support.
Bowes also mentioned his three grandchildren and acknowledged that his strength is derived from his faith in God.
“My son attended Glenwood Boys and my daughter attended Crowford Eden and both were dux top learners in their respective schools.”
Bowes said in his spare time, he is a singer and entertainer who played Luther Vandross in a Legends show at Isibaya Casino. He plans to sing for the elderly at old age homes when he retires and dedicate his time to church work.
He advised young teachers to be committed and to love teaching first.
“Look at those faces in your class and commit yourself to teaching them the best way you can. Some children will be rude to you but your passion will help you rise above those challenges,” he said.
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Daily News