#JourneyTo100Years #BenoniCityTimes #WilliamHills #CentenaryCelebrations
Hoërskool Hans Moore, based in Northmead, is 102 years old this year.
It originated in 1919 with its former name being the East Rand School of Trade.
Hans Moore is one of several such schools built by the then government to meet the need for craftsmen for the industries, especially the mines developed on the East Rand.
ALSO READ: #JourneyTo100Years: First Miss Benoni dies age 85
“The building and workshops were located in Liverpool Road near the station and other industries for obvious reasons, at that time,” said Mr JH Hattingh, current principal of the school.
“The school back then provided training in various trades such as carpentry, electricity, kettle makers, and tanners. It’s sad to see that the former building Hans Moore used is now dilapidated and is mainly occupied by vagrants.”
The school was already funded by the state at its inception and is still a state institution.
“The cornerstones (to be seen today in the reception foyer of Hans Moore) were unveiled by two city councillors at the time,” he explained.
The school’s name changed to HTS Benoni in 1958 when the Department of Education took over all the old vocational schools and took responsibility for the building and curriculum.
Pupils who attended technical schools were then trained in specific technical studies as needed.
“Fit and turn training, construction training, electrical electrics training, car mechanics training, heavy metal and welding training and so on,” said Hattingh.
“These subjects then prepared pupils for a career in the technical environment. With the transition to the Department of Education, the school, therefore, began to compete with ‘so-called’ academic schools. Schools where no subject involving a technical skill has been offered.”
According to Hattingh, several pupils who did choose to go to a technical school were considered subordinate to pupils who were at the ‘so-called’ academic schools.
“At the same time, all the technical subjects were not recognized by the universities as admission subjects, which made it difficult for some pupils to study further,” he said.
“From these circumstances, Mr Hans Moore played a special role as the deputy director of education technical subjects by writing the curricula of the technical subjects in such a way that the universities do recognise its content as sufficient for admission.”
It is for this reason that the school is now named after Mr Moore with the name change taking place in 1984.
The school is located at its new spot in Dalrymple Street, Northmead, having moved to the site in 1987.
ALSO READ: Share your City Times stories
“The site in Liverpool Road became too small, for example, there were no sports grounds and the school used the old Willowmoore Park sports site,” he said.
“Along with that, it was not always safe for students in the industrial area, especially in the afternoons and with evening gatherings.
“Fewer and fewer children used the trains and the buildings were no longer sufficient to house the new machinery and especially Johan Lemmer, city council member, helped a lot to identify the new site for relocation.
“After the identification, the new school was built and the first pupils moved to the new school in September 1987.”
The current principal of Hans Moore said that the facilities that can be seen today are regarded as some of the best on the East Rand and were only made possible by the hard work from both teachers and parents.
“Among the people who assisted in the developments were Mrs Piet Kruger (lapa), Mr Willie Bouscher (pavilion), along with Mrs D Crouwcamp, V Peterson, N Vorster (sports house),” said Hattingh.
“The cricket field is also known today as the Jopie Breed Oval, named after the former principal, out of gratitude for his contribution to establishing cricket at the school.”
Academically, several alumni exceled in their respective fields at the school upon their attendance.
“The Roux daughters who worked at Boing, J. van Bovekerke who worked at Shell International and many more,” he said.
“On the sports field are several provincial players from Hans Moore currently, Philip Lemmer, currently a coach with the Lions, Jannie van der Walt Junior Springbok and Lesiba Ngoepe currently in the Warrior Group.”
The school has grown from about 550 in the whole school with only technical Subjects to a comprehensive school with more than 800 pupils and grade eight groups exceeding 220 in the last few years.
“To be part of a school today where everyone cares for everyone and actually forms part of a large family is not only a privilege but indeed an honour. The performance of the school makes each of us who are part of Hans Moore proud,” concluded Hattingh.
