As for the little girls, they were always splendid in their black gymslips and khaki shirts, standing to attention on the school’s foregrounds for morning prayers.
There were no such things as school socks, because not a single one of the schoolchildren owned a pair of shoes.
Lo and behold! For among the rows of schoolchildren was one little boy — not of school-going age — forming part of the rows at morning assembly.
This cute little boy would stand there among the others, dressed in a blue safari suit, a matching blue hat, and black Jack and Jill shoes with a strap over the instep.
The little boy in question was named Johnny (yours truly), the only offspring of the Kleinfontein Farm School headmaster, the late Reuben, and his fellow teacher wife, Hernica.
Recent political developments brought back memories of the farmlands, and one particular day during the month of September.
On that day the headmaster held a baton aloft, leading the schoolchildren in the singing of “Nader my God by U (Nearer my Lord to Thee)”.
When the hymn reached a crescendo and came to a forlorn end, the headmaster took a solemn and dignified bow, and then slowly rose to peer at the schoolchildren over the rim of his horn-rimmed spectacles.
In a quivering voice, the headmaster broke the news of the assassination of Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd, and the schoolchildren sighed with shock, although one suspects they had no idea who the deceased was.
At this juncture, the headmaster lifted the baton, and led the schoolchildren into the singing of a song each pupil had learnt by heart: “Die Stem”.
And towards the end of the morning prayers, Hernica assisted in the distribution of brand new miniature flags — “die oranje, blanje blou” — and also piggy banks designed like the Post Office Mail Box of old.
The schoolchildren were then commandeered to march to their respective classrooms, each holding with pride the little flag.
Back in the office — the one with the “Hoof” signage — the headmaster took his place behind the desk, on which a transistor radio and miniature “Oranje Blanje Blou” also had pride of place.
