Public Primary School Herenstraat

The Public Primary School on Herenstraat in Aalten was established in 1884. The new school replaced the ancient village school on Landstraat. Over the years, the headteachers included Messrs Stegeman, Veenstra, Bennink, de Lange, van Rugge, Brunt, Siebrands, van Zeijl, and Leferink.

During the occupation years, the school was briefly used as a ‘Fallschirm-Armee Waffenschule’ (Paratrooper Army Weapon School).

In the 1960s, classes from the Commercial Evening School were also held here three nights a week.

In October 1974, the school had to temporarily close its doors due to a flea infestation. The cause was discovered to be a litter of cats living underneath the school building.

Closure

In 1976, a new public primary school was opened in Aalten on Wehmerstraat. This school was later named ‘Openbare Basisschool De Slinger’.

Upon leaving the old building, the schoolchildren sang the following lines during a noisy parade to the tune of ‘Yellow Submarine’: “Where we’re going is the new school, on Wehmerstraat, where it looks so grand. Ninety years old is our school on Herenstraat, in a tumbledown state, etc.”

In 1977, the old school on Herenstraat was demolished, and the site was converted into a car park, known today as ’t Hoge Blik.