The history and legacy of the J.P. Thijsseschool

The unique J.P. Thijsseschool

Thanks to the idealism, time, energy and own money of many team members, the J.P.T. became a forerunner in educational innovation. The motto was that the experiences of the child were central. Education did not start with textbooks about the countryside, but with the living world of the children themselves ´Natural Learning´. In and around the school there were many animals, plants, vegetable garden, they cooked with their own products. There was even a composting toilet. 

From the early 1970s the J.P.T. became one of Delft's Freinet schools inspired by visits to French congresses with as many as a thousand educationists from all over the world. In 1978 after the first fire, the J.P.T together with kindergarten Hummelhof received the status of experimental elementary school. Here history was written: the very first duo headship in the Netherlands, consisting of Lida Steltenpool and Leo Romijn.

Innovators often evoke resistance, which is why a scientific study by the APS concluded: ‍

"Freinet schools are like orchids in a field of dandelions" 

Those who entered the school immediately noticed that this was a striking place. In the classrooms, people talked and listened in circles and class meetings. Children were allowed to voice their opinions and arrangements were made using daily and weekly plans, how work could be assigned. Pupils' stories were read aloud and polished together. This was called la toilette du texte, and it was never about punishing mistakes, but about helping each other.

The printing press played an important role in education. Not as an end in itself, but as a means of recording experiences and communicating as correspondence with schools at home and abroad.
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A new beginning

Yet the school also experienced hard times. In 1978 and in 2003, the building burned down completely. Both times parents, teachers and children worked hard to rebuild the school. The school at number 72 had to make way for expansion of Delft Campus and continued at Frederik van Eedenlaan number 12. Where the school once stood, there is now a ditch with a pedestrian and bicycle path and a small tunnel. In 2016, the J.P.T. merged into the Parkschool in the Poptahof.
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The Rooster: symbol of strength

A well-known symbol of the school was The Rooster, a work of art by Jan Rot. The sculpture survived two fires and nine moves. In 2022, after a crowdfunding effort, The Rooster was returned, near its old school spot where it was visible to passersby for three years. Recently, the sculpture was unfortunately stolen... For more than 35 years, The Rooster was a landmark of the school's strength and individuality.
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From schoolyard to place for the neighborhood‍

Although the J.P.T. is no longer in its original location at 72 Frederik van Eedenlaan, the school's spirit lives on. The Station House is now a place for and by the neighborhood, where there is once again room for learning and discovery together. Tutoring sessions are organized, there will be a vegetable garden, and children make art from old appliances at Repair Kid. As before at the J.P.T., learning and discovery together is central.
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What did the J.P Thijsseschool leave behind?

‍Forover 35 years, the J.P.T. at 72 Frederik van Eeden Avenue provided a home to dozens of education workers(s), tens of thousands of children, parents and visitors. It was a breeding ground of innovation, cooperation and resilience.

Interviewee: former employee Militza Vink
Written by: Megan Bossche of New Future Lab

‍Photo caption: Front and rear views of the J.P.T. You can see the NS building, a telephone booth, the pumping station and the flats.