The Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal Association, which owns the lease for the property in which Bat Valley Primary School is located, plans to convert the school into a Secondary school.
The decision was reached at during a meeting between Government and owners of Bat Valley Primary School.
Mukesh Shukla, the Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal Association chairman, told Uganda Radio Network from India, that the association has raised 250million shillings for the renovations of the dilapidated buildings.
Mukesh says the school would be closed for three months, pending the completion of the renovations. On completion, Bat valley will be re-named as Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal secondary school.
In August 2007, the Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal Association, known in Kampala as the Hindu Temple Association served Bat Valley Primary School with an eviction notice requiring it to leave the premises to pave way for the long-overdue renovation of the buildings.
Sarah Baziwe, headmistress of Bat Valley Primary School, says that because the school is government-aided, she is still waiting communication from the Ministry of Education and Sports before taking a decision. She is unsure of the fate of the 2,000 pupils at the school.
But Mark Mboize, a member of the parent's teachers association says the school will remain open for new academic year which opens on February 4th.
According to Mboize, the State minister for Primary Education, Peter Lokeris wrote to the Town Clerk, Ruth Kijjambu, directing her not to renew any lease of properties housing educational institutions to anybody.
Lokeris warned that KCC is loosing schools at a faster rate and urged them to retain the properties.
Mukesh Shukla on the other hand says that the Hindu Temple recently applied to the Uganda Lands Commission through Kampala City Council to have his lease renewed. He says 200 million shillings was paid for the five acres of land on which the school is located.
