MY PRIMARY SCHOOL YEARS

I attended the North School from 1952 until 1958 in the Northern suburbs of Bloemfontein. It was a double medium school, namely for both Afrikaans and English speaking pupils. The Latin motto was Esse Quam Vederi, which literally means: "To be what you are like". The school cohort existed mainly of railway workers' children, however, were all well brought up according to the various christian churches morals in that specific neighbourhood. One of the old photo's above shows the shield for the best rugby team while school cadets for boys and Red Cross First Aid sessions for girls also contributed to valuable disciplinary values. The beauty of the double medium school system was the natural integration of two cultural groups, namely Afrikaans and English. It stood out as a workable model how peaceful integration could be managed in the school system without losing one's personal character, namely:"To Be What You Are Like".