This thesis deals with a specific secondary school, the
Potchefstroom Gymnasium, which is known as the oldest
Afrikaans secondary school in the Transvaal.
Potchefstroom Gymnasium originated in 1907 as a result of
the Christian National ideal and through the years provided
an unique contribution to Afrikaans children belonging to
the Christian religion. Thus Potchefstroom Gymnasium is
considered an exponent of the Christian National Education
principle (CNE principle).
The Christian National Education principle had its origin
in the Bible and during the Reformation of the Church in
the 16th and 17th centuries, the Reformed Church, (in the
Netherlands) initiated the Protestant Christian way of life -
which also pertained to the education as such. In 1652 Jan
van Riebeeck brought the Calvinistic philosophy with him
to the Cape and in 1838 with the Great Trek it was also
extended to the Transvaal As a result of the Liberal
humanistic influence of the British during and after the Anglo-Boer
War (1899-1902) a Christian National Education movement
(CNE movement) originated and CNE schools were founded.
Teaching of the Christian Afrikaner children could consequently
again be presented in accordance with the CNE
principles.
Due to political turbulence and lack of financial support,
the CNE schools had a short duration and by the end of 1906
they had all either been closed or had become state schools.
The need arose for Christian National Education in Potchefstroom
and the Preparatory School was founded in 1907 as
a Free Christian school and was part of the Reformed
Theological School. In 1915 the Preparatory School, also
due to lack of funds, became a primary school {of the
state) with a secondary section which was called the
Potchefstroom Gymnasium.
In 1916 a beginning was made to teach certain school subjects
through medium of Afrikaans and this school became
the first to replace Dutch with Afrikaans as the medium of
teaching. In 1918 the primary and secondary sections were
separated to form two individual schools. The secondary
school be retained its name of Potchefstroom Gymnasium.
J J A Coetsee was the first permanent headmaster of the
school from July 1908 until July 1938. Under him the school
flourished and became a well-known Christian Afrikaans
secondary school. From August 1938 to December 1965 W de
K Kruger continued in the footsteps of his predecessor at
the school where the principles of CNE teaching were taught. / Thesis (MEd)--PU vir CHO, 1983
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/10130 |
| Date | January 1982 |
| Creators | Dreyer, Louwrens Abram |
| Publisher | Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Language | other |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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