Wanneer jy ‘n huis soek, sê mense dis goed om ‘n eiendom te kies naby ‘n goeie skool.
Vir die ouers van die 1700's en 1800's was dit nie regtig ‘n opsie nie. Stellenbosch se eerste onderwyser, Sybrand Mancadan, was geduring in die moeilikheid oor sy ‘onwelvoeglike gedrag’ (lees hier) en op ‘n stadium (rondom 1809) was die klein skooltjie heeltemal sonder ‘n onderwyser. Dit is eers later wat Stellenbosch die opvoedkundige en akademiese kern geword het wat dit vandag is.
Die meeste van die onderwysers wat Mancadan opgevolg het, soos Mahieu, Jan Jansz Swart, Bastiaan Ceval, Jacobus de Rens, Antonie Faure, Abraham Faure (sy seun), Christiaan Crijnauw en Gillis de Korte, was heelwat anders as hy en het elk 'n interessante storie. Baie van die latere sendingonderwysers se nalatenskap leef ook voort deur die strate en/of skole wat na hulle vernoem is (soos Erasmus Smit en P.D Lückhoff).
Georg Knoop, wat in 1785 vanaf Kaapstad gekom het, was ‘n geliefde onderwyser wat gekenmerk is aan sy hoflikheid, dissipline en ordelikheid. Wanneer hy op straat gesien was, was hy uitgevat in ‘n driehoekige hoed en krullerige pruik (soos die mode destyds was), ‘n lang swart jas, ‘n kniebroek en blink skoene met silwer gespes, amper soos iets uit Rembrandt.
Knoop was die laaste van die voorleser-onderwysers van die Kompanjie – hierna is ‘n paar privaatskole en sendingskole op die dorp gevestig, en uiteindelik is ‘n nuwe staatskool - die Stellenbossche Gimnasium gestig – die voorloper van die Kweekskool en Paul Roos Gimnasium.
Knoop was vir 15 jaar, tot en met sy dood in 1800, ‘n onderwyser by die dorpskool.
In sy memoirs beskryf Petrus Borchardus Borcherds hoe Mnr Knoop as onderwyser was. Vrydae was inspeksiedag – dan het die kinders senuweeagtig parade gehou wanneer Mnr Knoop hul oor hul voorkoms en netheid toespreek. In sy klaskamer van 50 kinders moes hy streng dissipline toepas,
He sat at his elevated little table, with a library at the back and the various scholastic implements, such as rulers, pens, etc. spread before him, while the instruments of discipline then in use hung in the wall by his side. In front stood the large writing table and benches, generally occupied by about 40 or 50 of the rising generation, of all colours, some paying, some admitted gratis [who were] maintained by the church funds. The school fees ranged from four pence half-penny to one shilling and sixpence a month. [...] The Bible was first read, then spelling, reading, arithmetic, and writing classes were put into action, the seniors hearing the lessons of the juniors, the master taking the higher clasees.
Alhoewel hy streng was, was Georg Knoop gewild onder die kinders. Hy het sy leerlinge vermaak met sy musikale talent (en die koekies wat sy vrou gebak het was blykbaar ook lekker). Soos Mancadan en die res van die voorleser-onderwysers, was Knoop verantwoordelik om die leerlinge af te rig in die sing van Psalms. Knoop het viool gespeel en die samesang by die skool was so gewild dat daar later ‘n skoolkoor ontstaan het.
Nog ‘n uitsonderlike onderwyser was Wilhelm Adolph Alheit, wat in 1865 as sendingonderwyser na Stellenbosch gekom het. Alheit is aanvanklik beroep tot die Rynse kerk se seunsskooltjie, wat op die hoek van Pleinstraat en Birdstraat gestaan het (waar die poskantoor vandag is). Maar nie lank na sy koms nie is daar besluit om die 58 seuns van die Rynse skool saam te smelt met die nuwe Stellenbossche gimnasium. By die nuwe skool is Alheit aangestel om Wiskunde en Rek aan te bied.
Alheit het sy liefde vir sending behou, en as voorwaarde om klas te gee by die gimnasium het hy gevra dat sy ‘salaris’ in die vorm van beurse vir skoliere gegee sou word. Solank hy skoolgee moes daar vir twaalf minderbevoorregte seuns gratis onderwys verskaf word, en wanneer hy weg is vir 5 seuns.
Vandag is daar 27 skole in en rondom Stellenbosch (hoërskole en laerskole), en baie van hulle is gebou op die fondasies van hierdie ou onderwysers. Die skole is (alfabeties):
AF Louw Primêr, Bloemhof Hoërskool, Bruckner de Villiers Primêr, Cloetesville Hoërskool, Cloetesville Primêr, Devonvallei Primêr, Eikestad Laerskool, Idasvallei Primêr, Ikaya Primary, JJ Rhode Primêr, Kayamandi Secondary, Koelenhof Rk Primêr, Luckhoff Sekondêr, Lynedoch Primêr, PC Peterson Primêr (Kylemore), Paul Roos Gimnasium, Pieter Langeveld Primêr, Rhenish Girsl High School, Rhenish Primary, Rietenbosch Primêr, St Idas R Catholic Primary, Stellenbosch Hoërskool, Stellenbosch Laerskool, Stellenbosch Waldorf school, Stellenzicht Sekondêr (Jamestown), Vlottenburgh Primer en Weber Gedenk Primêr (Jamestown).
----------Leef Stellenbosch----------
English
When you are looking for a new home, most people would suggest finding is property close to a good school.
For the parents of the 1700s and 1800s this wasn’t really an option. Stellenbosch’s first teacher, Sybrand Mancadan, was constantly in trouble due to his ‘indecent behaviour’ and at one stage (around 1809) the town was completely without a teacher. It is only later that Stellenbosch became the educational and academic center it is today.
Most of the teachers following Mancadan, such as Mahieu, Jan Jansz. Swart, Bastiaan Ceval, Jacobus de Rens, Antonie Faure, Abraham Faure (his son), Christiaan Crijnauw and Gillis de Korte, was quite unlike him and had interesting stories. The later sendingonderwysers (missionary teachers) also left their mark on Stellenbosch and is remembered by the streets and/or schools that are named after them (like Erasmus Smit and P.D Lückhoff).
Georg Knoop, a beloved teacher who came from Cape Town in 1785, had high acclaim among the townsfolk for his decency, discipline and orderliness. When seen on street, he wore a triangular hat with a curly wig (as was the fashion), a long black coat and shiny shoes with silver buckles - almost like something from a Rembrandt painting.
Knoop was the last of the voorleser-onderwysers in the time of the Compagnie. After this some private schools and mission schools were established, subsequently giving rise to the Stellenbossche gimnasium (which was the forerunner to Paul Roos Gimnasium and the Theological seminary).
Knoop served the school for 15 years, until his death in 1800.
In his memoirs Petrus Borchardus Borcherds sketches a detailed picture of Mr Knoop’s school. Friday was inspection day, then the children stood on parade nervously while Mr Knoop addressed them about their cleanliness and neatness. In his classroom of about 50 children strong discipline was always maintained,
He sat at his elevated little table, with a library at the back and the various scholastic implements, such as rulers, pens, etc. spread before him, while the instruments of discipline then in use hung in the wall by his side. In front stood the large writing table and benches, generally occupied by about 40 or 50 of the rising generation, of all colours, some paying, some admitted gratis [who were] maintained by the church funds. The school fees ranged from four pence half-penny to one shilling and sixpence a month. [...] The Bible was first read, then spelling, reading, arithmetic, and writing classes were put into action, the seniors hearing the lessons of the juniors, the master taking the higher classes.
Although strict, Georg Knoop was popular among the children. His musical talent (and the cookies baked by his wife) were both appreciated. Like Mancadan and the other voorleser-onderwysers, Knoop was responsible to coach the children in singing the Psalms. By accompanying them on the violin, Knoop's singing classes became so loved that a small school choir developed during his time.
Another acclaimed teacher was Wilhelm Adolph Alheit, who came to Stellenbosch as missionary teacher in 1865. He was originally commissed to teach the boys at the Rhenish school, which was then located on the corner of Plein street and Bird street (where the post office is today). But not long hereafter it was decided to merge the 58 boys of the school with the new Stellenbossche gymnasium. Alheit was approached to teach arithmetic and accounting at the new school.
Wilhelm Alheit retained his love for missions, and as a precondition for teaching at the new school asked that his ‘salary’ was paid in the form of bursaries. As long as he taught, he demanded that 12 needy boys should receive free education, and after he left, 5 boys.
Today there are 27 schools (primary and secondary) in and around Stellenbosch, and many of them are built on the foundations laid by these great teachers. They are (in alphabetical order):
AF Louw Primêr, Bloemhof Hoërskool, Bruckner de Villiers Primêr, Cloetesville Hoërskool, Cloetesville Primêr, Devonvallei Primêr, Eikestad Laerskool, Idasvallei Primêr, Ikaya Primary, JJ Rhode Primêr, Kayamandi Secondary, Koelenhof Rk Primêr, Luckhoff Sekondêr, Lynedoch Primêr, PC Peterson Primêr (Kylemore), Paul Roos Gimnasium, Pieter Langeveld Primêr, Rhenish Girsl High School, Rhenish Primary, Rietenbosch Primêr, St Idas R Catholic Primary, Stellenbosch Hoërskool, Stellenbosch Laerskool, Stellenbosch Waldorf school, Stellenzicht Sekondêr (Jamestown), Vlottenburgh Primer en Weber Gedenk Primêr (Jamestown).
----------Live Stellenbosch----------