On the eve of Heritage Day, Stellenbosch University's Division for Social Impact celebrated the 80th anniversary of Lückhoff Senior Secondary School along with learners as well as current and former teachers.
The original school building in Banhoek Road currently houses the Division of Social Impact and other community projects.
During the celebrations, former learner and principal of the school, Mr Jacques Cornelissen, told the learners about Lückhoff 's rich history. He told them the school was started in a house with only a few learners. An application for a school building was made to the Department of Education. Construction began in 1937 and two years later a new school building was inaugurated.
Cornelissen, who was a learner at Lückhoff from 1960 to 1964, vividly described the area surrounding the school and told stories about the people who used to live there. "Here, where you are sitting now in front of the school were beautiful lawns with hydrangeas. And at the corner of Banhoek Road and Van Ryneveld Street was a cafe where we used to buy sweets."
"But in 1969 we were forced to move out of town. My wife, who was head girl in that year, told how they had to carry school desks, chairs and other equipment to the new building in Bloekom Avenue in Idas Valley," Cornelissen said.
"I'm sure each and every one of you sitting here today has ambition and dreams. And you can achieve it with a good education and hard work. As the motto on the coat of arms on your chest says: Education is light (Opvoeding is lig). Education is always uplifting and there are people who will accompany you on that path, but you must allow them to train and teach you, you must create a climate in which this can happen, because no one can take his or her rightful place in society without a good education."
Prof Nico Koopman, SU's Acting Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel, welcomed the learners at the school and said they have inherited three things: "You have the Bill of Rights and the insurance therein that forced removals will not happen again, and access to education and so on - it's almost like a promise. You've also inherited an example - the example of people who were involved in this school when things went horribly wrong, but who accepted the challenge and responsibility and took it upon themselves to continue, despite difficult circumstances.
"And finally, you've inherited the power of the spiritual traditions which you live - whether Christian, Muslim or secular - your God is in control."
He encouraged the students to work hard, "because we are waiting for you at Stellenbosch (University)".
