Oorspronge Van Broederstroom Skool
Published: 2015-10-22 Views: 1089
HOEV: OPNAME VAN BESIENSWAARDIGHEDE Nr 022
HEHA: SURVEY OF HERITAGE SITES No 022
BROEDERSTROOM SKOOL (GORDYNSKOOL)
DATUM 1881 / 1906 / 1927 / 1947/1987
SAEA-BESKERMING (60J): ja
VERKLAAR: nee. GELYS: nee
GPS data:X 27.52.32 Y –25.47.42
PAD : Jalalporweg.
EIENAAR / KONTAKPERSOON:Gordynskoolgebou:(012-2051993), nuwe skool: (012-3719217)
Ongeveer 1881 is die eerste skooltjie op Broederstroom, die plaas van Hercules Albertus Pretorius (Oom Bart) geopen. Hy was die broer en adjudant van Andries Pretorius, held van Bloedrivier en is op 22 08 1803 te Graaff Reinet gebore en op 25 09 1889 te Broederstroom oorlede (023). Sy graf is in die Voortrekkerbegraafplaas op Broederstroom (024). Sy huis is in die Anglo Boereoorlog afgebrand en later weer herbou. Dit is in die jare rondom 1990 aansienlik vergroot en staan in 2003 nog in die veranderde gedaante.
Die skooltjie was in die solderkamer van oom Bart se huis en eintlik tot sy verdriet want die lawaaierigheid en lastigheid van die kinders het vir hom en sy gesin te veel geword. Dit was glo veel erger as ‘n “klomp rotte op ‘n plafon”. Tog het hy die onaangenaamheid vir ‘n paar jaar verduur met sy “Solderkamerskool”. In 1884 kon hy dit egter nie meer uithou nie en het hy ‘n entjie van daar ‘n skooltjie van klip en klei en met ‘n grasdak gebou. Hier het die klompie kinders van die omgewing dan tot die aanbreek van die oorlog in 1899 skoolgegaan.
Eers op 24 April 1906 kon daar weer met ‘n skool begin word en dit was een van die eerste CNO-skole in Transvaal. Die skool was as die “Gordynskool” bekend en het ‘n onderwyserswoning onder een dak met die skool gehad. Mnr H Glas het die gebou aan die onderwysdepartement teen £10 per maand verhuur. Mnr J H Wenting was die hoof, maar na vele moeilikhede met die ouers en kinders verdwyn hy sommer op 5 Augustus 1909. ‘n Mnr J D le Roux probeer in 1910 weer die skool aan die gang kry maar na een kwartaaal was ook hy so moedeloos dat hy nie weer terugkom nie. Hy kla dat “..they are occasionally kept at home to assist in the farm labour.”
In 1912 is daar ‘n nuwe hoof, mnr A W Bester, en die skool word nou met ‘n gordyn in twee klaskamers verdeel, vandaar die naam Gordynskool. Die skoolbesoek verbeter sodat mej F Schoeman die assistant word, maar sy bly nie lank nie en word deur mej Snell opgevolg. Van haar skryf die hoof: “Zij kent geen Hollands en is byna nutteloos.” In April 1914 word mnr Bester skielik weggeroep en vir die res van die jaar was daar nie skool nie.
Mnr Wiehahn word in 1915 hoof en gaan alleen sukkelend voort met 40 leerlinge. Materiaal was skaars, ouers ontevrede, kinders bly weg en die jong onderwyser kry die volgende antwoord van ‘n ouer na sy klagte: “I can’t do otherwise, have no servant to help me. I am poor and must keep my house going.” Die dak van die skool lek ook boonop en daar is geen water nie. Die “Goewementsdonkies” wat die departement vanaf 1917 aan ouers leen om hulle kinders by die skool te kry word vir ander doeleindes aangewend en die hoof skryf: “ Petrus Steenkamp is absent today; he is working in the lands and his lazy father sits on the stoep and chews and smokes.” In 1918 sterf die arme mnr Wiehahn aan die Spaanse griep.
Mnr de Ridder neem oor maar die moeilikhede duur voort: “Daar is niemand wat zoveel as de swarte van mijn nagel oor heeft voor de arme banneling (onderwyser) nie.” Toe hy uiteindelik ook vertrek teken hy aan:” Ik ben verlost.. Ik hoop dat mijn opvolger meer gediend zal zijn dan ik was.”
Die “Gordynskool” in 1976 as woonhuis. Dit wys die skoolgeboutjie as ‘n aansienlike gebou vir sy dae, met hoë mure en ‘n sinkdak. Die sink is waarskynlik van een van die Britse forte “verkry” wat na die oorlog in onbruik geraak het. Let ook op die staander van ‘n windlaaier op die dak. Die windlaaiers is gebruik om batterye te laai waarmee ‘n radio gespeel kon word.
The “Gordynskool” (Curtain School) in 1976 again as a house. For its time the school building was quite remarkable with its high walls and iron roof. The latter was probably “obtained” from one of the British forts nearby that were vacated after the war. Note also the base of a wind charger on the roof. These were used to charge car batteries that supplied power for a radio.
Die gebou het met die jare baie bouvallig geword maar daar was darem in die 1920’er jare woelinge met skoolbou. Mnr A W Pretorius word in 1923 assistent en hy sou nog ‘n groot rol in die skool speel. Uiteindelik is die dae van die Gordynskool voorlopig getel want in 1926, die jaar van mnr Glas se dood, het die departement ‘n tweelokaal “Goewementskool” opgerig wat in 1927 betrek kon word. Die eerste Goewermentskool op die plaas! Dit het op die straatkruising gestaan regoor die Jalalpor-winkel. Maar alhoewel die gebou nou doeltreffend was, het die skooldonkies en die kinders se afwesigheid nog veel onaangenaamheid veroorsaak.: “Cathleen Holman moes die eerste dag uitbly om ‘n bruilof by te woon en die tweede dag om te slaap”.. “Vandag is al die kinders van Kalkheuwel afwesig en die Joos weet wat hulle makeer..”
Mnr A W Pretorius word in 1929 hoof en skoolsake verbeter sommer drasties onder hom en mnr C W Roos. Selfs in die depressiejare wat nou sou volg het die twee voortgestoei en Tiekie-aande vir skoolfondse gereël. “ Ons het Saterdag ‘n Tiekie-aand gehou en £5-10 (R11) ingesamel. Ons wil voetballe koop en ‘n Krismisboom hou.”
Die “Gordynskool” in 2003. The “Curtain School” in 2003.
Die Afrikaanse Bybel word in 1933 in gebruik geneem en hier word ‘n bybelfees gehou. Skoolbesoek verbeter, moontlik aangehelp deur die skoolvoeding van kaas, melk, sop, vrugte ens wat elke dag gratis aan die kinders uitgedeel is. Die hoof moes vir die voedsel sorg uit ‘n toelaag wat hy van die Departement ontvang het.
In 1937 het die TOD (Transvaalse Onderwysdepartement) op die sogenaamde “sentralisasie” besluit. Dit het beteken dat etlike skole, veral op die platteland saamgevoeg is en daardeur is die skool wat maar 10 jaar oud was, vir goed gesluit. Toe die ouers beginne mor, stoot die departement demonstratief die mooi gebou plat. Sy fondamente is nog sigbaar. Mnr Pretorius moes by Elandsfontein (035) skool hou en die kinders is per bus daarheen vervoer. Maar tien jaar later word die besluit hersien en skuif die skool terug na Broederstroom en…..na..die Gordynskoolgeboutjie!
Hier het A W Pretorius, deur die ouers “Andy Petoors” genoem, en sy assistent Roos, nou weer vir sewe jaar gespartel en gespook voordat die Departement in 1954 twee tydelike klaskamers aanbou. Toe het dit uiteindelik gelyk asof die skool op Broederstroom gevestig raak. Die dag met die opening vir die nuwe kwartaal in Julie 1956 was Mnr A W Pretorius in die hospitaal en op 3 Augustus is hy oorlede. “Met groot inspanning het hy, veral in die laaste jaar, met sy siek liggaam skooltoe gesukkel..die kinders plaas ‘n krans op sy graf.” Hierna het mnr C W Roos oorgeneem tot in 1987 toe die skool na ‘n nuwe gebou in Welgegund, verder oos verskuif is waar dit nou nog is.
Die gebou van die Gordynskool was daarna vir ‘n ruk polisiestasie en dan weer ‘n woonhuis. Dit is vandag nog goed behoue met sy groot skuifraamvensters, plankvloere en plankplafonne.
BROEDERSTROOM SCHOOL (CURTAIN SCHOOL)
DATE 1881 / 1906 / 1927 / 1947/1987
SAHRA PROTECTION (60Y):yes
GPS data: X 27.52.32 Y –25.47.42
ROAD: Jalalpor Road.
OWNER / CONTACT PERSON: “Gordynskool” building:(012-2051993), new skool: (012-3719217)
The first school at Broederstroom was opened in + 1881 on the farm of Hercules Albertus Pretorius, known as “Oom Bart” (Uncle Bart), the brother and adjutant of Andries Pretorius of Blood River fame. He was born on 22.8.1803 at Graff-Reinet and died at Broederstroom on 25.9.1889. His grave is in the Voortrekker Graveyard at Broederstroom (023, 024).
The attic of Uncle Bart ’s house served as schoolroom, a situation that did not exactly add to the Pretorius family’s enjoyment of life. Uncle Bart described the noisy and annoying children as worse than a lot of rats on a ceiling. After about three years he could not stand it any longer, so he built a small school some distance away – a stone and clay building with a thatched roof. Here the small group of children from the area went to school until war broke out in 1899.
A new school could only be started on the 24th of April 1906 and this was one of the first Christian National Education Schools in the Transvaal. It consisted of a teacher’s residence and a one classroom school under one roof. Mr H Glas let the building to the Education Department at £10 per month. The first headmaster was Mr J H Wenting, who simply disappeared on the 5th of August 1909 after numerous problems with the children and their parents.
Mr J D le Roux tried to get the school going again in 1910, but after one term he was so despondent that he did not return after the holidays. He complained (in English) that “they are occasionally kept at home to assist in the farm labour”.
In 1912 Mr A W Bester was appointed as the new headmaster and the school was now divided by means of a curtain to form two classrooms. That is why it was known as “Gordynskool” (Curtain School). School attendance improved to such an extent that Miss F Schoeman was appointed as assistant. She did not stay there very long, however, and her successor, Miss Snell, was described by the headmaster as someone who knows no Dutch and is almost useless. In April 1914 Mr Bester was suddenly called away, never to return. For the rest of the year there was no school at all.
Die skoolvertrek vandag as woonvertrek. Hoë houtplafonne, plankvloere en hout-skuifvensters skep ‘n baie statige gevoel aan hierdie vertrek wat byna nie met ‘n plaasskool vereenselwig kan word nie. Volgens oorlewering was hierdie gebou eers ‘n kerk voordat dit as skoool gebruik is. Moontlik is die tussenmuur later ingebou en was dit die plek waar daar eers ‘n gordyn gebruik is om die groot vertrek in twee te verdeel.
The impressively large and well proportioned room of the old school building with its sash windows and wooden ceiling and floor is now divided into two rooms. The dividing wall is probably in the position of the curtain of the school days. According to tradition the room was previously used as a church, which saved it from the British burning it down.
In 1915 headmaster Wiehahn was responsible for 40 pupils all by himself. Materials were scarce, parents were dissatisfied and children were often absent. The young teacher received the following answer (in English) to one of his complaints: “I can’t do otherwise, have no servant to help me. I am poor and must keep my house going”. To make things worse the school roof was leaking and there was no water. The “government donkeys” which were lent to the parents from 1917 to get the children to school, were used for other purposes.
The headmaster wrote (in English): “Petrus Steenkamp is absent today, he is working on the lands and his lazy father sits on the stoep and chews and smokes”. In 1918 poor Mr Wiehahn died of the Spanish flu. Mr de Ridder took over, but the problems continued. He wrote that nobody cared about him, poor outcast, any more than about the dirt under his finger nails. When he left he wrote: “Ik ben verlost … (“I am free of my burden”…) and expressed the hope that his successor would be happier than he had been.
In the course of time the school building became dilapidated, but fortunately action was taken in the 1920s to build new schools. Mr A W Pretorius, who became assistant in 1923, was to play a most important role in the school in future.
At last the days of the “Gordynskool” were numbered, for in 1926 (the year that Mr Glas died) the Department built a two-roomed “Government School” where classes could commence the next year. The first government school on the farm! But the nice new building unfortunately did not make the old problems vanish, for instance, the absenteeism of the children, donkeys and all. “Cathleen Holman had to stay away on the first day to attend a wedding and on the second day to sleep …” “Today all the children of Kalkheuwel are absent and goodness knows what is wrong with them …In 1929 Mr A W Pretorius became headmaster and school matters improved drastically under him and Mr C W Roos. Even during the depression years, which were soon to follow, they exerted themselves to bring in money for the school. “We held a tickey-evening on Saturday and made £5 – 10 (R11). We want to buy rugby balls and have a Christmas party”.
The Afrikaans Bible was made available in 1933 and a Bible festival was held here. School attendance improved, possibly because free food (like cheese, milk, soup and fruit) was dished out to the children every day. The headmaster received an allowance from the Department for the provision of the food.
In 1937 the Transvaal Education Department decided on the so-called “centralisation”, which involved the merging of quite a number of schools, especially on the platteland. As a result of this the school, only ten years old, had to be closed forever. When the parents started to groan and grumble the Department demonstratively levelled the beautiful building to the ground. Its foundations are still visible. Mr Pretorius had to teach at Elandsfontein (035) and the children travelled there by bus. However, ten years later the decision was revised and the school moved back to Broederstroom and … to the Curtain School! Here Mr A W Pretorius (called “Andy Petoors” by the parents) and his assistant Roos struggled for seven years before the Department built on two temporary classrooms in 1954. At last it looked as though the school at Broederstroom was there to stay.
When the school opened for the new term in July 1956 Mr A W Pretorius was in hospital. He died on the 3rd of August. “With the greatest effort he dragged his sick body to school, especially during his last year… The children would like to lay a wreath on his grave.” Mr C W Roos took over until 1987, when school moved to Welgegund further east.
The old “Gordynskool” building became a police station and later again a residence. It is still being used as such. The large rooms, wooden floors and ceilings as well as sliding windows are still there to remind us of the days in the beginning of the twentieth century.
Andries Wilhelmus Pretorius (Andy Petoors) toe hy sy B A graad verwerf het.
Die huis is in ‘n L-vorm gebou met gewels aan die drie ente. Regs is die skoolgedeelte en links die woonvetrekke van die onderwyser. Die middelste deel is later aangebou.
The old house was built in an L-shape with gables at the three ends. The portion to the right was the school, the portion to the left the living quarters of the head master. The middle section was added at a later stage.
In die tuin staan ‘n merkwaardige toring wat moontlik ‘n koelkamer of graanskuur was.
This remarkable tower could have been a granary or cooling tower.