SCHOOL IS 100 YEARS OLD

The annual Machado Potjiekos Festival takes place on 26-28 September. Laerskool Machado turns 100 years old on 12 September and will hold a reunion at the festival. Jan SCHEURKOGEL (90) and his sisters Marietjie JEANNES (95) and Miemie SMITH (94) are the oldest surviving former students. His sisters live in Pretoria. Jan lives in Hendrina and still visits his farm, Rietfontein, outside Machadodorp regularly. He attended the school from 1924 to 1932 when Mr. FOURIE (aka Oubaas) was Headmaster. The school went to Standard 6, and later Standard 7 was added. Classmates that Jan recalls are Sewes VAN RENSBURG and Clemens VAN DER POEL.

Laerskool Machodo was part of the Christian National Schools programme started in 1903. Field-Cornet Cornelis POTGIETER of the farm Geluk, was instrumental in getting a school built in Machadodorp. The first Headmaster was P.J. KLOPPER, who moved from Pretoria to Machadodorp in 1903. The school opened in a temporary on the farm Waterval that belonged to Gawie MARE. There were 25 to 30 students. The permanent school building in Machadodorp was opened on 09 November 1903. The first teacher was Miss JANSEN. In 1907 the school joined the government education department and the new school building's foundation was laid in 1908 by Senator A.D.W. WOLMARANS. The old building carried on being used as a church until the NG Kerk was built. A boarding school, Du Toit House, was added to the new school in 1948 and had 50 students who stayed there. The current Headmaster is Skip SCHEEPERS who has been invovled with the school for 20 years. The school has 145 students.

A FAMILY OF HEAD BOYS

Virginia's Volkskool Virginia has quite an interesting achievement. The four LAMPRECHT brothers were students at the school and each one was Head Boy. The youngest brother, Zillen, is Head Boy this year. The boys are the sons of Paul and Madelene Lamprecht. Elmen now lives in Johannesburg where he runs a sports psychology practise. Ruan is a professional rugby player in Witbank and plays for the Mpumalanga Pumas. Janes is a Grade 10 student at Hoërskool Hentie Cilliers.

LONG TEACHING CAREER

Carol FELTON (67) has taught at Clarendon Girls’ High School in East London for 40 years, and has no plans to retire just yet. For the last 24 years, she's taught English. She was born in Queenstown and moved to East London during her high school days. She attended Clarendon, then called East London Girls’ High School, where her mother was a music teacher. After matriculating in 1958, Carol went to Rhodes University for a BA degree, followed by a teaching degree from the University of Cape Town. Her first teaching job was in 1963 at Kokstad High School.

LAERSKOOL JORDANIA IS 50

On 23 July 1958, 74 students went to school in a roofless building in Jordania. Today Laerskool Jordania has 720 students, in the same building (with a roof). They celebrated the school's 50th anniversary, with Diets MEIRING, one of the five founders, unveiling a plaque. The school was founded with the help of Ds. Jan STEYN of the NGK Bethlehem-Oos. Ms. J.C. DU PREEZ was the first principal. A year later she was replaced by Mr. N.A. MARAIS, who stayed until 1963. He was followed by Mr. P.A. VAN DER MERWE, and in 1974 Mr. Izak DE VILLIERS took over until he retired in 1993. Hennie BADENHORST is the current principal. In 1972, Mrs. Petro VENTER, who taught at the school for 24 years, designed the school emblem.

COLLEGE STOLEN, PIECE BY PIECE

Worcester residents are upset about the destruction of the former Minnie Hofmeyr College, which has been vandalised and had its doors, window frames, security railings, wooden flooring and roofing stolen. Coloured social workers received their training at the college, from 1931 in Harring Street, Cape Town, and from 02 October 1948 in the current building in Grey Street, Worcester. The Women's Mission Association of the NGK Western and Eastern Cape, restored the college years ago and carried on supporting the college financially. Between 1983 and 1992, it cost R1 106 420 to run the college. In 1986 a new admin building, lecture hall and library were built. The college was closed in 1993 when the Western Cape Verenigende Gereformeerde Kerk bought the building. It was then rented out to various businesses, until a month ago.

MEISIESKOOL ORANJE CENTENARY

Meisieskool Oranje in Bloemfontein celebrated its centenary earlier this year. The well-known Afrikaans school was founded in 1907 by President Marthinus Theunis STEYN of the Orange Free State. After the Anglo-Boer War, the British started implementing changes to the educational system which led to protests by Afrikaans parents. In September 1903 a petition was signed by 23 000 parents and handed over to Sir GOOLD-ADAMS, Lieutenant-Governor of the Orange River Colony. As a result of these protests, Christian National schools were established by Afrikaans communities. These schools were amalgamated with State schools in 1905 due to a lack of funds.

President STEYN held discussions in 1905 to establish a Christian National school for Afrikaans girls. Funding came from many sources, such as the NGK and the Netherlands. The school’s name honours the financial contributions made by the Dutch. The first classes at Christelike en Nasionale Sekondêre Meisieskool Oranje were taught on the 11th April 1907 and the official school opening was on the 2nd August 1907. Some of the first pupils were children who had been in the concentration camps. Boarding facilities were offered from the beginning, as many pupils came from rural areas. Elizabeth Susanna LE ROUX was the first school principal, appointed at the age of 26. She later married John Henry EYBERS and was the mother of the Afrikaans writer, Elisabeth EYBERS. Gladys STEYN, daughter of President STEYN, attended Eunice Girls’ School and later became principal of Meisieskool Oranje. She was also the first female barrister to appear in a South African court.

Part of the celebrations included the unveiling of an ox-wagon in the school grounds. The ox-wagon was used in 1938 in the Great Trek commemorations. It was built in Knysna and made the symbolic Trek from the Cape to various parts of South Africa. It was originally presented to the school in September 1944. The oldest former pupil at the celebrations was Mrs. Erna OBERHOLZER (97) who matriculated in 1926.